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I 


PRINCESS    LABAM 


"  INDIAN  - 

Fairy   Tales 

SELECTED   AND    EDITED  BY 

JOSEPH  JACOBS 

EDITOR   OF   "FOLK-LORE" 
ILLUSTRATED  BY 

JOHN     D.     BATTEN 


New   York:    G.   P.    PUTNAM'S   SONS 
London:    D.   NUTT 


/^^^^ 


56Stq 


/ 


T" 


•I'^p^ 


i 


^Rights  of  translation  and  reproduction  reserved] 


ro 


mr  T>EAR    LITTLS    THIL 


Preface 


ROM  the  extreme  West  of  the  Indo- 
European  world,  we  go  this  year  to  the 
extreme  East.  From  the  soft  rain  and 
green  turf  of  Gaeldom,  we  seek  the 
garish  sun  and  arid  soil  of  the  Hindoo. 
In  the  Land  of  Ire,  the  belief  in 
fairies,  gnomes,  ogres  and  monsters  is  all  but  dead ;  in 
the  Land  of  Ind  it  still  flourishes  in  all  the  vigour  of 
animism. 

Soils  and  national  characters  differ ;  but  fairy  tales  are 
the  same  in  plot  and  incidents,  if  not  in  treatment.  The 
majority  of  the  tales  in  this  volume  have  been  known  in  the 
West  in  some  form  or  other,  and  the  problem  arises  how 
to  account  for  their  simultaneous  existence  in  farthest  West 
and  East.  Some — as  Benfey  in  Germany,  M.  Cosquin  in 
France,  and  Mr.  Clouston  in  England — have  declared  that 
India  is  the  Home  of  the  Fairy  Tale,  and  that  all  European 
fairy  tales  have  been  brought  from  thence  by  Crusaders,  by 


Vlll 


Preface 


Mongol  missionaries,  by  Gipsies,  by  Jews,  by  traders,  b}^ 
travellers.  The  question  is  still  before  the  courts,  and  one 
can  only  deal  with  it  as  an  advocate.  So  far  as  my  instruc- 
tions go,  I  should  be  prepared,  within  certain  limits,  to  hold 
a  brief  for  India.  So  far  as  the  children  of  Europe  have 
their  fairy  stories  in  common,  these — and  they  form  more 
than  a  third  of  the  whole — are  derived  from  India.  In 
particular,  the  majority  of  the  Drolls  or  comic  tales  and 
jingles  can  be  traced,  without  much  difficulty,  back  to  the 
Indian  peninsula. 

Certainly  there  is  abundant  evidence  of  the  early  trans- 
mission by  literary  means  of  a  considerable  number  of  drolls 
and  folk-tales  from  India  about  the  time  of  the  Crusaders. 
The  collections  known  in  Europe  by  the  titles  of  The  Fables 
of  Bidpai,  The  Seven  Wise  Masters,  Gesia  Romanorum^  and 
Barlaam  and  Josaphat,  were  extremely  popular  during  the 
Middle  Ages,  and  their  contents  passed  on  the  one  hand 
into  the  Exempla  of  the  monkish  preachers,  and  on  the 
other  into  the  Novellc  of  Italy,  thence,  after  many  days,  to 
contribute  their  quota  to  the  Elizabethan  Drama.  Perhaps 
nearly  one-tenth  of  the  main  incidents  of  European  folk- 
tales can  be  traced  to  ihis  source. 

There  are  even  indications  of  an  earlier  literary  contact 
between  Europe  and  India,  in  the  case  of  one  branch  of  the 
folk-tale,  the  Fable  or  Beast  Droll.      In  a  somewhat  elabo- 


Preface 


IX 


I 


rate  discussion  *  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  a 
goodly  number  of  the  fables  that  pass  under  the  name  of 
the  Samian  slave,  ^Esop,  were  derived  from  India,  probably 
from  the  same  source  whence  the  same  tales  were  utilised 
in  the  Jatakas,  or  Birth-stories  of  Buddha.  These  Jatakas 
contain  a  large  quantity  of  genuine  early  Indian  folk- 
tales, and  form  the  earliest  collection  of  folk-tales  in  the 
world,  a  sort  of  Indian  Grimm,  collected  more  than  two 
thousand  years  before  the  good  German  brothers  went  on 
their  quest  among  the  folk  with  such  dehghtful  results. 
For  this  reason  I  have  included  a  considerable  number  of 
them  in  this  volume  ;  and  shall  be  surprised  if  tales  that 
have  roused  the  laughter  and  wonder  of  pious  Buddhists 
for  the  last  two  thousand  years,  cannot  produce  the  same 
effect  on  English  children.  The  Jatakas  have  been  fortu- 
nate in  their  English  translators,  who  render  with  vigour 
and  point  ;  and  I  rejoice  in  being  able  to  publish  the 
translation  of  tw^o  new  Jatakas,  kindly  done  into  English  for 
this  volume  by  Mr.  W.  H.  D.  Rouse,  of  Christ's  College, 
Cambridge.  In  one  of  these  I  think  I  have  traced  the 
source  of  the  Tar  Baby  incident  in  *'  Uncle  Remus." 

Though   Indian  fairy  tales  are  the  earliest  in  existence, 
et  they  are  also  from  another  point  of  view  the  youngest. 


'  History  of  the  ^sopic  Fable,"  the  intrcductory  volume  to  my 
edition  of  Caxton's  Fables  of  Esope  (London,  Nutt,  1889). 


h 


X  Preface 

For  it  is  only  about  twenty-five  years  ago  that  Miss  Frere 
began  the  modern  collection  of  Indian  folk-tales  with  her 
charming  "  Old  Deccan  Days "  (London,  John  Murray, 
1868;  fourth  edition,  1889).  Her  example  has  been  followed 
by  Miss  Stokes,  by  Mrs.  Steel,  and  Captain  (now  Major) 
Temple,  by  the  Pandit  Natesa  Sastri,  by  Mr.  Knowles  and 
Mr.  Campbell,  as  well  as  others  who  have  published  folk- 
tales in  such  periodicals  as  the  Indian  Antiquary  and  The 
Orientalist.  The  story-store  of  modern  India  has  been  well 
dipped  into  during  the  last  quarter  of  a  century,  though  the 
immense  range  of  the  country  leaves  room  for  any  number 
of  additional  workers  and  collections.  Even  so  far  as  the 
materials  already  collected  go,  a  large  number  of  the  com- 
monest incidents  in  European  folk-tales  have  been  found  in 
India.  Whether  brought  there  or  born  there,  we  have 
scarcely  any  criterion  for  judging  ;  but  as  some  of  those 
still  current  among  the  folk  in  India  can  be  traced  back 
more  than  a  millennium,  the  presumption  is  in  favour  of  an 
Indian  origin. 

From  all  these  sources — from  the  Jatakas,  from  the 
Bidpai,  and  from  the  more  recent  collections — I  have 
selected  those  stories  which  throw  most  light  on  the  origin 
of  Fable  and  Folk-tales,  and  at  the  same  time  are  most 
likely  to  attract  English  children.  I  have  not,  however, 
included    too    many    stories    of  the   Grimm   types,    lest   \\ 


Preface 


XI 


should  repeat  the  contents  of  the  two  preceding  volumes 
■of  this  series.  This  has  to  some  degree  weakened  the  case 
for  India  as  represented  by  this  book.  The  need  of  catering 
for  the  young  ones  has  restricted  my  selection  from  the 
well-named  ^^  Ocean  of  the  Streams  of  Story,"  Katha^Sarit 
Sagara  of  Somadeva.  The  stories  existing  in  Pali  and 
Sanskrit  I  have  taken  from  translations,  mostly  from  the 
German  of  Benfey  or  the  vigorous  English  of  Professor 
Rhys-Davids,  whom  I  have  to  thank  for  permission  to  use 
his  versions  of  the  Jatakas. 

I  have  been  enabled  to  make  this  book  a  representative 
collection  of  the  Fairy  Tales  of  Ind  by  the  kindness  of  the 
original  collectors  or  their  publishers.  I  have  especially  to 
thank  Miss  Frere,  who  kindly  made  an  exception  in  my 
favour,  and  granted  me  the  use  of  that  fine  story,  **  Punch- 
kin,"  and  that  quaint  myth,  "  How  Sun,  Moon,  and  Wind 
went  out  to  Dinner."  Miss  Stokes  has  been  equally 
gracious  in  granting  me  the  use  of  characteristic  speci- 
mens from  her  ^'Indian  Fairy  Tales."  To  Major  Temple 
I  owe  the  advantage  of  selecting  from  his  admirable 
Wideawake  Stories,  and  Messrs,  Kegan  Paul,  Trench  &  Co. 
have  allowed  me  to  use  Mr.  Knowles'  ''  Folk- tales  of 
Kashmir,"  in  their  Oriental  Library  ;  and  Messrs.  W.  H. 
Allen  have  been  equally  obliging  with  regard  to  Mrs. 
Kingscote's   ''  Tales   of  the   Sun."      Mr.  M.  L.  Dames   has 


xii  Preface 

enabled  me  add  to  the  published  story-store  of  India  by 
granting  me  the  use  of  one  from  his  inedited  collection  of 
Baluchi  folk-tales. 

I  have  again  to  congratulate  myself  on  the  co-operation 
of  my  friend  Mr.  J.  D.  Batten  in  giving  beautiful  or  amusing 
form  to  the  creations  of  the  folk  fancy  of  the  Hindoos.  It 
is  no  slight  thing  to  embody,  as  he  has  done,  the  glamour 
and  the  humour  both  of  the  Celt  and  of  the  Hindoo.  It  is 
only  a  further  proof  that  Fairy  Tales  are  something  more 
than  Celtic  or  Hindoo.      They  are  human. 

JOSEPH    JACOBS. 


Contents 


I 


I.   THE  LION   AND  THE  CRANE I 

II.    HOW   THE   raja's   SON    WON    THE   PRINCESS   LABAM         .           .  3 

III.    THE   LAMBIKIN I7 

IV.    PUNCHKIN 21 

V       V.    THE  BROKEN   POT 38 

VI.    THE   MAGIC    KIDDLE 4O 

VII.   THE   CRUEL  CRANE  OUTWITTED 46 

VIII.    LOVING    LAILl .  5 1 

IX.    THE  TIGER,   THE   BRAHMAN,   AND  THE  JACKAL      ...  66 

X.    THE   soothsayer's   SON           ,    - 70 

^'XI.    HARISARMAN 85 

XII.    THE  CHARMED   RING 90 

XIII.    THE  TALKATIVE  TORTOISE lOO 

XIV.    A   LAC   OF   RUPEES    FOR  A   PIECE   OF   ADVICE            .           .           •  IO3 


XIV 


XVI, 


Contents 


THE   GOLD-GIVING   SERPENT 
THE   SON   OF   SEVEN    QUEENS 


XVII.    A    LESSON    FOR    KINGS 


\. 


XVIII.  PRIDE   GOETH    BEFORE   A    FALL 

XIX.  RAJA    RASALU 

XX.  THE   ASS    IN    THE   LION'S    SKIN 

V.  XXI.  THE    FARMER    AND   THE   MONEY-LENDER 

XXII.  THE   BOY   WHO    HAD    A    MOON    ON    HIS    FOREHEAD    AND    A 
STAR    ON    HIS    CHIN  .  .  . 

XXIII.  THE    PRINCE    AND   THE    FAKIR 

XXIV.  WHY    THE    FISH    LAUGHED ^      . 

XXV.  THE   DEMON    WITH    THE    MATTED    HAIR 

XXVI.  THE   IVORY   CITY    AND    ITS    FAIRY    PRINCESS 

XXVII.  SUN,    MOON,    AND   WIND   GO   OUT   TO   DINNER 

XXVIII.  HOW  THE  WICKED   SONS    WERE   DUPED 

XXIX,  THE    PIGEON    AND  THE  CROW 


NOTES   AND   REFERENCES. 


FulUpage  Illustrations 

PRINCESS  LABAM Fvoiitispiece 

THE    LIOX    AND   THE    CRANE To  face  page        2 

PUNCHKIN .,                    ^6 

LOVING    LAII.I           .            .            . ^      .,                    64 

THE   CHARMED    RING ,,                    96 

THE    SON    OF   SEVEN   QUEENS ,,                  120 

RAJA    RASALU ,.                  146 

KOY   WITH    MOON    ON    FOREHEAD ,,                  165 

DEMON    WITH    MATTED    HAIR ,,                  1 96 


[Plates,  vignettes,  initials,  and  cuts  are 'from  "process"  blocks  supplied  by 
Messrs.  J.  C".  Drummond  &  Ccv  of  Covent  Garden.] 


UNIVEBSITT 


The   Lion  and  the  Crane 


HE   Bodhisatta  was  at  one   time    born 
in  the  region  of  Himavanta  as  a  white 
crane  ;  now  Brahmadatta  was  at   that 
time    reigning    in     Benares.      Now    it 
chanced    that    as    a    lion    was    eating 
meat     a     bone     stuck    in    his    throat. 
The  throat  became  swollen,  he  could 
not  take  food,  his  suffering  was  terrible.    The  crane  seeing 
him,  as  he  was  perched  on  a  tree   looking  for^ood,  asked, 
''What  ails  thee,  friend?"     He  told  him  why.     '^I   could 
free    thee    from    that    bone,    friend,    but    dare    not    enter 
thy  mouth  for  fear  thou    mightest   eat   me."      "  Don't  be 
afraid,  friend,  I'll  not  eat  thee  ;  only  save  my  life."      "  Very 
well,"  says  he,  and  caused  him  to  lie  down  on  his  left  side. 
But  thinking  to  himself,  ''Who  knows  what  this  fellow  will 
do,"  he  placed   a  small  stick  upright  between  his  two  jaws 
that  he  could  not  close  his  mouth,  and  inserting  his  head 
inside  his  mouth  struck  one  end  of  the  bone  with  his  beak. 
Whereupon  the  bone  dropped  and  fell  out.      As  soon  as  he 
had  caused  the  bone  to  fall,  he  got  out  of  the  lion's  mouth, 
striking  th.e  stick  with  his  beak  so  that  it  fell  out,  and  then 

A 


Indian   Fairv  Tales 


settled  on  a  branch.  The  Hon  gets  well,  and  one  day  was 
eating  a  buffalo  he  had  killed.  The  crane  thinking  *^  I 
will  sound  him,"  settled  on  a  branch  just  over  him,  and  in 
conversation  spoke  this  first  verse  : 

"  A  service  have  we  done  thee 
To  the  best  of  our  ability, 
King  of  the  Beasts  !      Your  Majesty  ! 
What  return  shall  we  get  from  thee  ?  " 

In  reply  the  Lion  spoke  the  second  verse  : 

*^  As  I  feed  on  blood, 

And  always  hunt  for  prey, 
'Tis  much  that  thou  art  still  alive 
Having  once  been  between  my  teeth." 

Then  in  reply  the  crane  said  the  two  other  verses  : 

*'  Ungrateful,  doing  no  good. 

Not  doing  as  he  would  be  done  by, 
In  him  there  is  no  gratitude, 
To  serve  him  is  useless. 

'^  His  friendship  is  not  won 
By  the  clearest  good  deed. 
Better  softly  withdraw  from  him, 
Neither  envying  nor  abusing." 

And  having  thus  spoken  the  crane  flew  away. 


An6i  when  the  great  Teacher ,  Gautama  the  Buddha j  told 
this  tahy  he  used  to  add:  **  Now  at  that  time  the  lion  was 
Devadatta  the  Traitor ^  but  the  white  crane  was  I  myself  ^ 


■ 

il 

Mi^  .                        < 

^F  '  '  .^^^^  f  ''^*- 

,  ^Ms^^    /n  '/^'  ium  1 

)^^B'^ 

'i^M 

1  '"^i-^'"^^^^ 

^^0t 

y^m\ 

wmmm^m^^ 

^^^KKSKkr-.      '^pmn  1 

IBS^f "    liM  1  -,  /  • ""  ^^  ■' ' 

■  "'^''IM'^iif^P^P^'*"!  1 

^^y^PMpi 

S^^HIk 

^^^m^m 

^^Sl^ 

EHfi^^^^^^K 

1 

B^H 

^H 

II 

THE    LION    AND 

TI 

-IE    CRANE 

How  the   Raja's  Son  won  the 
Princess   Labam. 


b 


A  country  there  was  a  Raja  who  had  an 
only  son  who  every  day  went  out  to  hunt. 
One  day  the  Rani,  his  mother,  said  to 
him,  ''  You  can  hunt  wherever  you  hke 
on  these  three  sides  ;  but  you  must  never 
go  to  the  fourth  side."  This  she  said 
because  she  knew  if  he  went  on  the  fourth  side  he  would 
hear  of  the  beautiful  Princess  Labam,  and  that  then  he 
would  leave  his  father  and  mother  and  seek  for  the  princess. 
The  young  prince  Jistened  to  his  mother,  and  obeyed  her 
for  some  time ;  but  one  day,  when  he  was  hunting  on  the 
three  sides  where  he  was  allowed  to  go,  he  remembered  what 
she  had  said  to  him  about  the  fourth  side,  and  he  determined 
to  go  and  see  why  she  had  forbidden  him  to  hunt  on  that 
side.  When  he  got  there,  he  found  himself  in  a  jungle,  and 
nothing  in  the  jungle  but  a  quantity  of  parrots,  who  lived  in 
it.  The  young  Raja  shot  at  some  of  them,  and  at  once  they 
all  flew  away  up  to  the  sky.  All,  that  is,  but  one,  and  this 
was  their  Raja,  who  was  called  Hiraman  parrot. 


L 


Indian   Fairy  Tales 


When  Hiraman  parrot  found  himself  left  alone,  he  called 
out  to  the  other  parrots,  ^^  Don't  fly  away  and  leave  me  alone 
when  the  Raja's  son  shoots.  If  you  desert  me  like  this,  I  will 
tell  the  Princess  Labam." 

Then  the  parrots  all  flew  back  to  their  Raja,  chattering. 
The  prince  was  greatly  surprised,  and  said,  "Why,  these  birds 
can  talk  !  "  Then  he  said  to  the  parrots,  '*  Who  is  the 
Princess  Labam  ?  Where  does  she  live  ?  "  But  the  parrots 
would  not  tell  him  where  she  lived.  *^  You  can  never  get  to 
the  Princess  Labam's  country."     That  is  all  they  would  say. 

The  prince  grew  very  sad  when  they  would  not  tell  him 
anything  more  ;  and  he  threw  his  gun  away,  and  went  home. 
When  he  got  home,  he  would  not  speak  or  eat,  but  lay  on 
his  bed  for  four  or  five  days,  and  seemed  very  ill. 

At  last  he  told  his  father  and  mother  that  he  wanted  to  go 
and  see  the  Princess  Labam.  "  I  must  go,"  he  said  ;  ^'  I 
must  see  what  she  is  like.  •  Tell  me  where  her  country  is." 

*'  We  do  not  know  where  it  is,"  answered  his  father  and 
mother. 

''  Then  I  must  go  and  look  for  it,"  said  the  prince. 

*'  No,  no,"  they  said,  *^  you  must  not  leave  us.  You  are 
our  only  son.  Stay  with  us.  You  will  never  find  the 
Princess  Labam." 

*'  I  must  try  and  find  her,"  said  the  prince.  "  Perhaps 
God  will  show  me  the  way.  If  I  live  and  I  find  her,  I  will 
come  back  to  you  ;  but  perhaps  I  shall  die,  and  then  I  shall 
never  see  you  again.      Still  I  must  go. 

So  they  had  to  let  him  go,  though  they  cried  very  much 
at  parting  with  him.  His  father  gave  him  fine  clothes  to 
wear,  and  a  fine  horse.  And  he  took  his  gun,  and  his  bow 
and  arrows,   and  a  great  many  other  weapons,   ''  for,"  he 


The  Princess  Labam  5 

aid,  ''  I  may  want  them."  His  father,  too,  gave  him  plenty 
of  rupees. 

Then  he  himself  got  his  horse  all  ready  for  the  journey, 
and  he  said  good-bye  to  his  father  and  mother;  and  his 
mother  took  her  handkerchief  and  wrapped  some  sweetmeats 
in  it,  and  gave  it  to  her  son.  "  My  child,"  she  said  to  him, 
"When  you  are  hungry  eat  some  of  these  sweetmeats." 

He  then  set  out  on  his  journey,  and  rode  on  and  on  till  he 
came  to  a  jungle  in  which  were  a  tank  and  shady  trees.  He 
bathed  himself  and  his  horse  in  the  tank,  and  then  sat  down 
under  a  tree.  '*Now,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  I  will  eat  some 
of  the  sweetmeats  my  mother  gave  me,  and  I  will  drink 
some  water,  and  then  I  will  continue  my  journey."  He  opened 
his  handkerchief,  and  took  out  a  sweetmeat.  He  found  an 
ant  in  it.  He  took  out  another.  There  was  an  ant  in  that 
one  too.  So  he  laid  the  two  sweetmeats  on  the  ground,  and 
he  took  out  another,  and  another,  and  another,  until  he  had 
taken  them  all  out ;  but  in  each  he  found  an  ant.  '*  Never 
mind,"  he  said,  ''  I  won't  eat  the  sweetmeats  ;  the  ants  shall 
eat  them."  Then  the  Ant-Raja  came  and  stood  before  him 
and  said,  '^  You  have  been  good  to  us.  If  ever  you  are  in 
trouble,  think  of  me  and  we  will  come  to  you." 

The  Raja's  son  thanked  him,  mounted  his  horse  and  con- 
tinued his  journey.  He  rode  on  and  on  until  he  came  to 
anether  jungle,  and  there  he  saw  a  tiger  who  had  a  thorn  in 
his  foot,  and  was  roaring  loudly  from  the  pain. 

"  Why  do  you  roar  like  that  ?  "  said  the  young  Raja. 
"  What  is  the  matter  with  you  ?  " 

"  I    have    had   a  thorn  in  my  foot   for    twelve    years," 

Kswered  the  tiger,  "  and  it  hurts  me  so;  that  is  why  I  roar." 


Indian   Fairy  Tales 


But  perhaps,  as   you   are   a  tiger,  when   I   have  made  you 
well,  you  will  eat  me  ?  " 


^^  Oh,  no,"  said  the  tiger,  ''  I  won't  eat  you.  Do  make 
me  well." 

Then  the  prince  took  a  little  knife  from  his  pocket,  and 
cut  the  thorn  out  of  the  tiger's  foot  ;  but  when  he  cut,  the 
tiger  roared  louder  than  ever — so  loud  that  his  wife  heard 
him  in  the  next  jungle,  and  came  bounding  along  to  see 
what  was  the  matter.  The  tiger  saw  her  coming,  and  hid 
the  prince  in  the  jungle,  so  that  she  should  not  see  him. 

"  What  man  hurt  you  that  you 

roared  so  loud  ?  "  said  the  wife. 

*'  No  one  hurt  me,"  answered 

J^"     J  the  husband  ;  ^'  but  a   Raja's   son 

|i0         came  and   took   the  thorn   out  of 

my  foot." 

"  Where  is  he  ?      Show  him  to  me,"  said  his  wife. 
'*  If  you  promise  not  to  kill  him,  I  will  call  him,"  said  the 
tiger. 


The  Princess  Labam  7 

''  I  won't  kill  him  ;  only  let  me  see  him,"  answered  his 
wife. 

Then  the  tiger  called  the  Raja's  son,  and  when  he  came 
the  tiger  and  his  wife  made  him  a  great  many  salaams. 
Then  they  gave  him  a  good  dinner,  and  he  stayed  with  them 
for  three  days.  Every  day  he  looked  at  the  tiger's  foot,  and 
the  third  day  it  was  quite  healed.  Then  he  said  good-bye 
to  the  tigers,  and  the  tiger  said  to  him,  *'  If  ever  you  are  in 
trouble,  think  of  me,  and  we  will  come  to  you." 

The  Raja's  son  rode  on  and  on  till  he  came  to  a  third 
jungle.  Here  he  found  four  fakirs  whose  teacher  and  master 
had  died,  and  had  left  four  things, — a  bed,  which  carried 
whoever  sat  on  it  whithersoever  he  wished  to  go;  a  bag,  that 
gave  its  owner  whatever  he  wanted,  jewels,  food,  or  clothes  ; 
a  stone  bowl  that  gave  its  owner  as  much  water  as  he  wanted, 
no  matter  how  far  he  might  be  from  a  tank ;  and  a  stick  and 
rope,  to  which  its  owner  had  only  to  say,  if  any  one  came  to 
make  war  on  him,  ^*  Stick,  beat  as  many  men  and  soldiers 
as  are  here,"  and  the  stick  would  beat  them  and  the  rope 
would  tie  them  up. 

The  four  fakirs  were  quarrelling  over  these  four  things. 
One  said,  ''  I  want  this  ;  "  another  said,  "  You  cannot  have 
it,  for  I  want  it ; "  and  so  on. 

The  Raja's  son  said  to  them,  ''  Do  not  quarrel  for  these 
things.  I  will  shoot  four  arrows  in  four  different  directions. 
Whichever  of  you  gets  to  my  first  arrow,  shall  have  the  first 
thing — the  bed.  Whosoever  gets  to  the  second  arrow,  shall 
have  the  second  thing — the  bag.  He  who  gets  to  the  third 
arrow,  shall  have  the  third  thing — the  bowl.  And  he  who 
gets  to  the  fourth  arrow,  shall  have  the  last  things — the  stick 
and  rope."     To  this  they  agreed,  and  the  prince  shot  off  his 


8  Indian  Fairy  Tales 

first  arrow.  Away  raced  the  fakirs  to  get  it.  When  they 
brought  it  back  to  him  he  shot  off  the  second,  and  when 
they  had  found  and  brought  it  to  him  he  shot  off  his  third, 
and  when  they  had  brought  him  the  third  he  shot  off  the 
fourth. 

While  they  were  away  looking  for  the  fourth  arrow  the 
Raja's  son  let  his  horse  loose  in  the  jungle,  and  sat  on  the 
bed,  taking  the  bowl,  the  stick  and  rope,  and  the  bag  with 
him.  Then  he  said,  '^Bed,  I  wish  to  go  to  the  Princess 
Labam's  country."  The  httle  bed  instantly  rose  up  into 
the  air  and  began  to  fly,  and  it  flew  and  flew  till  it  came  to 
the  Princess  Labam's  country,  where  it  settled  on  the 
gi'ound.  The  Raja's  son  asked  some  men  he  saw,  ''  Whose 
country  is  this  ?  " 

^'  The  Princess  Labam's  country,"  they  answered.  Then 
the  prince  went  on  till  he  came  to  a  house  where  he  saw  an 
old  woman. 

*'  Who  are  you  ?  "  she  said.    *^  Where  do  you  come  from  ?  " 

*'  I  come  from  a  far  country,"  he  said  ;  *'  do  let  me  stay 
with  you  to-night. 

*'  No,"  she  answered,  "  I  cannot  let  you  stay  with  me ; 
for  our  king  has  ordered  that  men  from  other  countries  may 
not  stay  in  his  country.      You  cannot  stay  in  my  house." 

'*  You  are  my  aunty,"  said  the  prince  ;  "  let  me  remain 
with  you  for  this  one  night.  You  see  it  is  evening,  and  if 
I  go  into  the  jungle,  then  the  wild  beasts  will  eat  me." 

"Well,"  said  the  old  woman,  "you  may  stay  here 
to-night  ;  but  to-morrow  morning  you  must  go  away,  for  if 
the  king  hears  you  have  passed  the  night  in  my  house,  he 
will  have  me  seized  and  put  into  prison." 

Then   she  took  him  into  her  house,  and   the   Raja's  son 


The  Princess  Labam  9 

was  very  glad.  The  old  woman  began  preparing  dinner, 
but  he  stopped  her,  '^  Aunty,"  he  said,  *'  I  will  give  you 
food."  He  put  his  hand  into  his  bag,  saying,  "  Bag,  I 
want  some  dinner,"  and  the  bag  gave  him  instantly  a 
delicious  dinner,  served  up  on  two  gold  plates.  The  old 
woman  and  the  Raja's  son  then  dined  together. 

When  they  had  finished  eating,  the  old  woman  said, 
"  Now  I  will  fetch  some  water." 

'*  Don't  go,"  said  the  prince.  ''  You  shall  have  plenty  of 
water  directly."  So  he  took  his  bowl  and  said  to  it, 
"  Bowl,  I  want  some  water,"  and  then  it  filled  with  water. 
When  it  was  full,  the  prince  cried  out,  ^'Stop,  bowl,"  and 
the  bowl  stopped  filling.  "See,  aunty,"  he  said,  '^with 
this  bowl  I  can  always  get  as  much  water  as  I  want." 

By  this  time  night  had  come.  "  Aunty,"  said  the  Raja's 
son,  "  why  don't  you  light  a  lamp  ?  " 

**  There  is  no  need,"  she  said.  ^*  Our  king  has  for- 
bidden the  people  in  his  country  to  light  any  lamps ;  for,  as 
soon  as  it  is  dark,  his  daughter,  the  Princess  Labam,  comes 
and  sits  on  her  roof,  and  she  shines  so  that  she  lights 
up  all  the  country  and  our  houses,  and  we  can  see  to  do 
our  work  as  if  it 'were  day." 

When  it  was  quite  black  night  the  princess  got  up.  She 
dressed  herself  in  her  rich  clothes  and  jewels,  and  rolled  up 
her  hair,  and  across  her  head  she  put  a  band  of  diamonds 
and  pearls.  Then  she  shone  like  the  moon,  and  her  beauty 
made  night  day.  She  came  out  of  her  room,  and  sat  on 
the  roof  of  her  palace.  In  the  daytime  she  never  came  out 
of  her  house ;  she  only  came  out  at  night.  All  the  people 
in  her  father's  country  then  went  about  their  work  and 
finished  it.  .^^^ciioDi^^ 


lo  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

The  Raja's  son  watched  the  princess  quietly,  and  was 
very  happy.      He  said  to  himself,  ^*  How  lovely  she  is  ! " 

At  midnight,  when  everybody  had  gone  to  bed,  the 
princess  came  down  from  her  roof,  and  went  to  her  room  ; 
and  when  she  was  in  bed  and  asleep,  the  Raja's  son  got  up 
softly,  and  sat  on  his  bed.  ''Bed,"  he  said  to  it,  "I  want 
to  go  to  the  Princess  Labam's  bed-room."  So  the  little 
bed  carried  him  to  the  room  where  she  lay  fast  asleep. 

The  young  Raja  took. his  bag  and  said,  "  I  want  a  great 
deal  of  betel-leaf,"  and  it  at  once  gave  him  quantities  of 
betel-leaf.  This  he  laid  near  the  princess's  bed,  and  then 
his  Httle  bed  carried  him  back  to  the  old  woman's  house. 

Next  morning  all  the  princess's  servants  found  the  betel- 
leaf,  and  began  to  eat  it.  "  Where  did  you  get  all  that 
betel-leaf?"  asked  the  princess.*^ 

"We  found  it  near  your  bed,"  answered  the  servants. 
Nobody  knew  the  prince  had  come  in  the  night  and  put  it 
all  there. 

In  the  morning  the  old  woman  came  to  the  Raja's  son. 
"Now  it  is  morning,"  she  said,  "  and  you  must  go  ;  for  if 
the  king  finds  out  all  I  have  done  for  you,  he  will  seize 
me." 

"  I  am  ill  to-day,  dear  aunty,"  said  the  prince  ;  "  do  let 
me  stajT  till  to-morrow  morning." 

*'  Good,"  said  the  old  woman.  So  he  stayed,  and  they 
took  their  dinner  out  of  the  bag,  and  the  bowl  gave 
them  water. 

When  night  came  the  princess  got  up  and  sat  on  her 
roof,  and  at  twelve  o'clock,  when  every  one  was  in  bed,  she 
went  to  her  bed-room,  and  was  soon  fast  asleep.  Then 
the   Raja's   son   sat  on   his  bed,  and  it  carried   him   to  the 


The  Princess  Labam  ii 

princess.  He  took  his  bag  and  said,  •'  Bag,  I  want  a  most 
lovely  shawl."  It  gave  him  a  splendid  shawl,  and  he 
spread  it  over  the  princess  as  she  lay  asleep.  Then  he 
went  back  to  the  old  woman's  house  and  slept  till  morning. 

In  the  morning,  when  the  princess  saw  the  shawl  she 
was  delighted.  "See,  mother,"  she  said;  '*  Khuda  must 
have  given  me  this  shawl,  it  is  so  beautiful."      Her  mother 

s  very  glad  too. 

"  Yes,  my  child,"  she  said  ;  '^  Khuda  must  have  given  you 
this  splendid  shawl." 

When  it  was  morning  the  old  woman  said  to  the  Raja's 
son,  *'  Now  you  must  really  go." 

"  Aunty,"  he  answered,  "  I  am  not  well  enough  yet. 
Let  me  stay  a  few  days  longer.  I  will  remain  hidden  in 
your  house,  so  that  no  one  may  see  me."  So  the  old 
woman  let  him  stay. 

When  it  was  black  night,  the  princess  put  on  her  lovely 
clothes  and  jewels,  and  sat  on  her  roof.  At  midnight  she 
went  to  her  room  and  went  to  sleep.  Then  the  Raja's  son 
sat  on  his  bed  and  flew  to  her  bed-room.  There  he  said 
to  his  bag,  "  Bag,  I  want  a  very,  very  beautiful  ring."  The 
bag  gave  him  a  glorious  ring.  Then  he  took  the  Princess 
Labam's  hand  gently  to  put  on  the  ring,  and  she  started  up 
very  much  frightened. 

^*  Who  are  you?"  she  said  to  the  prince.      "Where  do 

,^ou  come  from  ?      Why  do  you  come  to  my  room  ?  " 

1^  '^  Do  not   be  afraid,  princess,"  he  said  ;   "  I  am  no  thief. 

I  am  a  great  Raja's  son.      Hiraman  parrot,  who  lives  in  the 

jungle  where  I  went  to  hunt,  told  me  your  name,  and  then 

I  left  my  father  and  mother,  and  came  to  see  you." 

"Well,"  said  the  princess,  "as  you  are  the  son  of  such  a 


12  Indian  Fairy   Tales 


great  Raja,  I  will   not   have  you   killed,  and   I  will  tell   my 
father  and  mother  that  I  wish  to  marry  you." 

The  prince  then  returned  to  the  old  woman's  house  ;  and 
when  morning  came  the  princess  said  to  her  mother,  ^'The 
son  of  a  great  Raja  has  come  to  this  country,  and  I  wish  to 
marry  him."      Her  mother  told  this  to  the  king. 

"  Good,"  said  the  king ;  ''  but  if  this  Raja's  son  wishes 
to  marry  my  daughter,  he  must  first  do  whatever  I  bid 
him.  If  he  fails  I  will  kill  him.  I  will  give  him  eighty 
pounds  weight  of  mustard  seed,  and  out  of  this  he  must 
crush  the  oil  in  one  day.  If  he  cannot  do  this  he 
shall  die." 

In  the  morning  the  Raja's  son  told  the  old  woman  that 
he  intended  to  marry  the  princess.  ^'  Oh,"  said  the  old 
woman,  "  go  away  from  this  country,  and  do  not  think  of 
marrying  her.  A  great  many  Rajas  and  Rajas'  sons  have 
come  here  to  marry  her,  and  her  father  has  had  them  all 
killed.  He  says  whoever  wishes  to  marry  his  daughter 
must  first  do  whatever  he  bids  him.  If  he  can,  then  he 
shall  marry  the  princess  ;  if  he  cannot,  the  king  will  have 
him  killed.  But  no  one  can  do  the  things  the  king  tells 
him  to  do  ;  so  all  the  Rajas  and  Rajas'  sons  who  have  tried 
have  been  put  to  death.  You  will  be  killed  too,  if  you  try. 
Do  go  away."  But  the  prince  would  not  listen  to  anything 
she  said. 

The  king  sent  for  the  prince  to  the  old  woman's  house, 
and  his  servants  brought  the  Raja's  son  to  the  king's  court- 
house to  the  king.  There  the  king  gave  him  eighty  pounds 
of  mustard  seed,  and  told  him  to  crush  all  the  oil  out  of  it 
that  day,  and  bring  it  next  morning  to  him  to  the  court- 
house.     "Whoever  wishes    to   marry    my    daughter,"    he 


»• 


be 

I 


The   Princess  Labam  13 

said  to  the  prince,  "must  first  do  all  I  tell  him.  If  he 
cannot,  then  I  have  him  killed.  .So  if  you  cannot  crush  all 
the  oil  out  of  this  mustard  seed,  you  will  die." 

The  prince  was  very  sorry  when  he  heard  this.  "  How 
n  I  crush  the  oil  out  of  all  this  mustard  seed  in  one 
day?"  he  said  to  himself;  ''  and  if  I  do  not,  the  king  will 
kill  me."  He  took  the  mustard  seed  to  the  old  woman's 
house,  and  did  not  know  what  to  do.  At  last  he  remem- 
bered the  Ant-Raja,  and  the  moment  he  did  so,  the  Ant- 
aja  and  his  ants  came  to  him.  "  Why  do  you  look  so 
ad?"  said  the  Ant-Raja. 

The  prince  showed  him  the  mustard  seed,  and  said  to 
him,  "  How  can  I  crush  the  oil  out  of  all  this  mustard  seed 
in  one  day  ?  And  if  I  do  not  take  the  oil  to  the  king 
to-morrow  morning,  he  will  kill  me." 

"  Be  happy,"  said  the  Ant-Raja  ;  "  lie  down  and  sleep  ; 
we  will  crush  all  the  oil  out  for  you  during  the  day,  and 
to-morrow  morning  you  shall  take  it  to  the  king."  The 
Raja's  son  lay  down  and  slept,  and  the  ants  crushed  out 
the  oil  for  him.  The  prince  was  very  glad  when  he  saw 
the  oil. 

The  next  moi^ning  he  took  it  to  the  court-house  to  the 
king.  But  the  king  said,  ^'  You  cannot  yet  marry  my 
daughter.  If  you  wish  to  do  so,  you  must  first  fight  with 
my  two  demons  and  kill  them."  The  king  a  long  time  ago 
had  caught  two  demons,  and  then,  as  he  did  not  know  what 
to  do  with  them,  he  had  shut  them  up  in  a  cage.  He  was 
afraid  to  let  them  loose  for  fear  they  would  eat  up  all  the 
people  in  his  country  ;  and  he  did  not  know  how  to  kill 
them.  So  all  the  kings  and  kings'  sons  who  wanted  to 
marry  the   Princess  Labam  had  to  fight  with  these  demons ; 


14 


Indian   Fairy  Tales 


'^  for,"  said  the  king  to  himself,  ''perhaps  the  demons  may 
be  killed,  and  then  I  shall  be  rid  of  them." 

When  he  heard  of  the  demons  the  Raja's  son  was  very 
sad.  ''  What  can  I  do  ?  "  he  said  to  himself.  ''  How  can 
I  fight  with  these  two  demons  ?  "  Then  he  thought  of  his 
tiger :  and  the  tiger  and  his  wife  came  to  him  and  said, 
^'  Why  are  you  so  sad  ?  "  The  Raja's  son  answered,  "  The 
king  has  ordered  me  to  fight  with  his  two  demons   and  kill 


them.  How  can  I  do  this  ?  "  "  Do  not  be  frightened," 
said  the  tiger.  *'Be  happy.  I  and  my  wife  will  fight  with 
them  for  you." 

Then  the  Raja's  son  took  out  of  his  bag  two  splendid 
coats.  They  were  all  gold  and  silver,  and  covered  with 
pearls  and  diamonds.  These  he  put  on  the  tigers  to  make 
them  beautiful,  and  he  took  them  to  the  king,  and  said  to 
him,  "  May  these  tigers  fight  your  demons  for  me  ? " 
"  Yes,"  said  the  king,  who  did   not  care  in  the  least  who 


The  Princess  Labam  15 

killed  his  demons,  provided  they  were  killed.  "Then  call 
your  demons,"  said  the  Raja's  son,  "  and  these  tigers  will 
fight  them."  The  king  did  so,  and  the  tigers  and  the 
demons  fought  and  fought  until  the  tigers  had  killed  the 
demons. 

"That  is  good,"  said  the  king.  "  But  you  must  do  some- 
thing else  before  I  give  you  my  daughter.  Up  in  the  sky 
I  have  a  kettle-drum.  You  must  go  and  beat  it.  If  you 
cannot  do  this,  I  will  kill  you.'* 

The  Raja's  son  thought  of  his  little  bed  ;  so  he  went  to 
the  old  woman's  house  and  sat  on  his  bed.  ''  Little  bed," 
he  said,  "  up  in  the  sky  is  the  king's  kettle-drum.  I  want 
to  go  to  it."  The  bed  flew  up  with  him,  and  the  Raja's  son 
beat  the  drum,  and  the  king  heard  him.  Still,  when  he 
came  down,  the  king  would  not  give  him  his  daughter- 
"You  have,"  he  said  to  the  prince,  "done  the  three  things 
I  told  you  to  do  ;  but  you  must  do  one  thing  more."  •"  If 
I  can,  I  will,"  said  the  Raja's  son. 

Then  the  king  showed  him  the  trunk  of  a  tree  that  was 
lying  near  his  court-house.  It  was  a  very,  very  thick 
trunk.  He  gave  the  prince  a  wax  hatchet,  and  said,  "  To- 
morrow morning  you  must  cut  this  trunk  in  two  with  this 
wax  hatchet." 

The  Raja's  son  went  back  to  the  old  woman's  house. 
He  was  very  sad,  and  thought  that  now  the  Raja  would 
certainly  kill  him.  ''  I  had  his  oil  crushed  out  by  the  ants," 
he  said  to  himself.  "  I  had  his  demons  killed  by  the  tigers. 
My  bed  helped  me  to  beat  his  kettle-drum.  But  now  what 
can  I  do?  How  can  I  cut  that  thick  tree-trunk  in  two 
with  a  wax  hatchet  ?  " 

At  night  he  went  on  his  bed  to  see  the  princess.      "To- 


1 6  Indian   Fairy   Tales 


morrow,"  he  said  to  her,  ^'  your  father  will  kill  me." 
"  Why  ?  "  asked  the  princess. 

''  He  has  told  me  to  cut  a  thick  tree-trunk  in  two  with  a 
wax  hatchet.  How  can  I  ever  do  that  ? "  said  the  Raja's 
son.  ^'  Do  not  be  afraid,"  said  the  princess ;  '^  do  as  I  bid 
you,  and  you  will  cut  it  in  two  quite  easily." 

Then  she  pulled  out  a  hair  from  her  head,  and  gave  it  to 
the  prince.  ^^  To-morrow,"  she  said,  ''  when  no  one  is  near 
you,  you  must  say  to  the  tree-trunk,  *'  The  Princess  Labam 
commands  yoii  to  let  yourself  be  cut  in  two  by  this  hair.' 
Then  stretch  the  hair  down  the  edge  of  the  wax  hatchet's 
blade." 

The  prince  next  day  did  exactly  as  the  princess  had  told 
him  ;  and  the  minute  the  hair  that  was  stretched  down  the 
^  edge  of  the  hatchet-blade  touched  the  tree-trunk  it  split  into 
two  pieces. 

The  king  said,  '^Now  you  can  marry  my  daughter." 
Then  the  wedding  took  place.  All  the  Rajas  and  kings  of 
the  countries  round  were  asked  to  come  to  it,  and  there 
were  great  rejoicings.  After  a  few  days  the  prince's  son 
said  to  his  wife,  ''  Let  us  go  to  my  father's  country."  The 
Princess  Labam's  father  gave  them  a  quantity  of  camels 
and  horses  and  rupees  and  servants ;  and  they  travelled 
in  great  state  to  the  prince's  country,  where  they  lived 
happily. 

The  prince  always  kept  his  bag,  bowl,  bed,  and  stick  ; 
only,  as  no  one  ever  came  to  make  war  on  him,  he  never 
needed  to  use  the  stick.  ^ 


The  Lambikin 


^ 


NCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  wee  wee 
Lambikin,  who  frolicked  about  on  his 
little  tottery  legs,  and  enjoyed  himself 
amazingly. 

Now  one  day  he  set  off  to  visit  his 
Granny,  and  was  jumping  with  joy  to 
think  of  all  the  good  things  he  should  get  from  her,  when 
who  should  he  meet  but  a  Jackal,  who  looked  at  the  tender 
young  morsel  and  said  :  ^'  Lambikin  !  Lambikin  !  I'll  eat 
YOU  !  " 

But    Lambikin   only  gave  a  little  frisk 
and  said  : 

*'  To  Granny's  house  I  go. 
Where  I  shall  fatter  grow, 
Then  you  can  eat  me  so." 

The  Jackal  thought  this  reasonable,  and  let  Lambikin 
pass. 

By-and-by  he  met  a  Vulture,  and  the  Vulture,  Jooking 
hungrily  at  the  tender  morsel  before  him,  said  :  '^  Lambikin  ! 
Lambikin  !      I'll  eat  YOU  !  " 


1 8  Indian  Fairy   Tales 

But  Lambikin  only  gave  a  little  frisk,  and  said  : 

''  To  Granny's  house  I  go, 
Where  I  shall  fatter  grow, 
Then  you  can  eat  me  so." 

The   Vulture  thought  this   reasonable,  and 
let  Lambikin  pass. 
"I'^'lii''."-,^  4  And  by-and-by  he  met    a   Tiger,  and  then 

a  Wolf,  and  a  Dog,  and  an  Eagle,  and  all  these,  when 
they  saw  the  tender  little  morsel,  said  :  ''  Lambikin  ! 
Lambikin  !      I'll  eat  YOU  !  " 

But  to  all  of  them  Lambikin  replied,  with  a  little  frisk  : 

"  To  Granny's  house  I  go, 
Where  I  shall  fatter  grow. 
Then  you  can  eat  me  so." 

\)..„'(»r_^  „„  At  last  he  reached  his    Granny's   house, 

and  said,  all  in  a  great  hurry,  "  Granny,  dear,  I've  promised 
to  get  very  fat ;  so,  as  people  ought  to  keep  their  promises, 
please  put  me  into  the  corn-bin  at  once." 

So  his  Granny  said  he  was  a  good  boy,  and  put  him  into 
the  corn-bin,  and  there  the  greedy  Httle  Lambikin  stayed 
for  seven  days,  and  ate,  and  ate,  and  ate,  until  he  could 
scarcely  waddle,  and  his  Granny  said  he  was  fat  enough 
for  anything,  and  must  go  home.  But  cunning  little  Lambi- 
kin said  that  would  never  do,  for  some  animal  would  be  sure 
to  eat  him  on  the  way  back,  he  was  so  plump  and  tender. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what  you  must  do,"  said  Master  Lambikin, 
*'  you  must  make  a  little  drumikin  out  of  the  skin  of  my 
little  brother  who  died,  and  then  I  can  sit  inside  and  trundle 
along  nicely,  for  I'm  as  tight  as  a  drum  myself." 


The   Lambikin  19 

So  his  Granny  made   a  nice   little   drumikin   out   of  his 

brother's    skin,    with     the        ^_^ .^^^^^     c>_^i^^'''^^^^^ 

fool  inside,  and  Lambikin    H  ^\  \\  V  '^     \!/l^ 

"curled  himself  up  snug  and    I    ;  v]  \  'm[^>^Jifi^^ 

warm   in   the  middle,   and     W   mlinihu^rrtij^^^^^'^- .  \^ 
trundled  away  gaily.    Soon  ^^^^P'^^-- 

he  met  with  the  Eagle,  who  called  out  : 


^'  Drumikin  !   Drumikin  ! 
Have  you  seen  Lambikin?  " 


|..,...„....„........ 

replied  : 

"  Fallen  into  the  fire,  and  so  will  you 
On  little  Drumikin.      Tum-pa,  tum-too  !  " 

''  How    very   annoying ! "    sighed    the    Eagle,    thinking 
regretfully  of  the  tender  morsel  he  had  let  slip. 

Meanwhile  Lambikin  trundled  along,  laughing  to  himself, 
■■Knd  singing  : 

l^h  '^  Tum-pa,  tum-too  ; 

^^V  Tum-pa,  tum-too  !  " 

Every    animal    and    bird    he   met    asked    him   the    same 
question  : 

''  Drumikin  !   Drumikin  ! 
Have  you  seen  Lambikin  ?  " 

And  to  each  of  them  the  little  slyboots  replied  : 

''  Fallen  into  the  fire,  and  so  will  you 
On  little  Drumikin.     Tum-pa,  turn  too  ; 
Tum-pa,  tum-too  ;  Tum-pa,  tum-too  !  " 


20  Indian   Fairy   Tales 

Then  they  all  sighed  to  think  of  the  tender  Httle  morsel 
they  had  let  slip. 

At  last  the  Jackal  came  limping  along,  for  all  his  sorry 
looks  as  sharp  as  a  needle,  and  he  too  called  out — 

"  Drumikin  !   Drumikin  ! 
Have  you  seen  Lambikin  ?  " 

And  Lambikin,  curled  up  in  his  snug  little  nest,  replied 
gaily  : 

*'  Fallen  into  the  fire,  and  so  will  you 
On  little  Drumikin  !     Tum-pa " 

But  he  never  got  any  further,  for  the  Jackal  recognised 
his  voice  at  once,  and  cried  :  "  Hullo  !  you've  turned  your- 
self inside  out,  have  you  ?      Just  you  come  out  of  that !  " 

Whereupon  he  tore  open  Drumikin  and  gobbled  up 
Lambikin. 


Punchkin 


NCE  upon  a  time  there  was  a  Raja  who 
had  seven  beautiful  daughters,  'they 
were  all  good  girls  ;  but  the  youngest, 
named  Balna,  was  more  clever  than  the 
rest.  The  Raja's  wife  died  when  they 
were  quite  little  children,  so  these  seven 
poor  Princesses  were  left  with  no  mother  to  take  care  of 
them. 

The  Raja's  daughters  took  it  by  turns  to  cook  their 
father's  dinner  every  day,  whilst  he  was  absent  deliberating 
with  his  Ministers  on  the  affairs  of  the  nation. 

About  this  time  the  Prudhan  died,  leaving  a  widow  and 
one  daughter  ;   and  every  day,  every  day,  when  the  seven 


2  2  Indian  Fairy  Tales 


Princesses  were  preparing  their  father's  dinner,  the  Prudhan's 
widow  and  daughter  would  come  and  beg  for  a  little  fire 
from  the  hearth.  Then  Balna  used  to  say  to  her  sisters, 
'^  Send  that  woman  away  ;  send  her  away.  Let  her  get  the 
fire  at  her  own  house.  What  does  she  want  with  ours  ? 
If  we  allow  her  to  come  here,  we  shall  suffer  for  it  some 
day." 

But  the  other  sisters  would  answer,  ^' Be  quiet,  Balna; 
why  must  you  always  be  quarrelling  with  this  poor  woman  ? 
Let  her  take  some  fire  if  she  likes."  Then  the  Prudhan's 
widow  used  to  go  to  the  hearth  and  take  a  few  sticks  from 
it ;  and  whilst  no  one  was  looking,  she  would  quickly  throw 
some  mud  into  the  midst  of  the  dishes  which  were  being 
prepared  for  the  Raja's  dinner. 

Now  the  Raja  was  very  fond  of  his  daughters.  Ever 
since  their  mother's  death  they  had  cooked  his  dinner  with 
their  own  hands,  in  order  to  avoid  the  danger  of  his  being 
poisoned  by  his  enemies.  So,  when  he  found  the  mud 
mixed  up  with  his  dinner,  he  thought  it  must  arise  from 
their  carelessness,  as  it  did  not  seem  likely  that  any  one 
should  have  put  mud  there  on  purpose  ;  but  being  very 
kind  he  did  not  like  to  reprove  them  for  it,  although  this 
spoiling  of  the  curry  was  repeated  many  successive  days. 

At  last,  one  day,  he  determined  to  hide,  and  watch  his 
daughters  cooking,  and  see  how  it  all  happened  ;  so  he 
went  into  the  next  room,  and  watched  them  through  a  hole 
in  the  wall. 

There  he  saw  his  seven  daughters  carefully  washing  the 
rice  and  preparing  the  curry,  and  as  each  dish  was^  com- 
pleted, they  put  it  by  the  fire  ready  to  be  cooked.  Next 
he  noticed  the   Prudhan's  widow  come  to  the  door,  and  beg 


Punchkin  23 

for  a  few  sticks  from  the  fire  to  cook  her  dinner  with. 
Balna  turned  to  her,  angrily,  and  said,  "  Why  don't  you 
keep  fuel  in  your  own  house,  and  not  come  here  every  day 
and  take  ours  ?  Sisters,  don't  give  this  woman  any  more 
wood;  let  her  buy  it  for  herself. 

Then  the  eldest  sister  answered,  ^'  Balna,  let  the  poor 
woman  take  the  wood  and  the  fire  ;  she  does  us  no  harm." 
But  Balna  replied,  ''  If  you  let  her  come  here  so  often, 
maybe  she  will  do  us  some  harm,  and  make  us  sorry  for 
it,  some  day." 

The  Raja  then  saw  the  Prudhan's  widow  go  to  the 
place  where  all  his  dinner  was  nicely  prepared,  and,  as 
she  took  the  wood,  she  threw  a  little  mud  into  each  of  the 
dishes. 

At  this  he  was  very  angry,  and  sent  to  have  the  woman 
seized  and  brought  before  him.  But  when  the  widow  came, 
she  told  him  that  she  had  played  this  trick  because  she 
wanted  to  gain  an  audience  with  him  ;  and  she  spoke  so 
cleverly,  and  pleased  him  so  well  with  her  cunning  words, 
that  instead  of  punishing  her,  the  Raja  married  her,  and 
made  her  his  Ranee,  and  she  and  her  daughter  came  to  live 
in  the  palace. 

Now  the  new  Ranee  hated  the  seven  poor  Princesses,  and 
wanted  to  get  them,  if  possible,  out  of  the  way,  in  order 
that  her  daughter  might  have  all  their  riches,  and  live  in 
the  palace  as  Princess  in  their  place  ;  and  instead  of  being 
grateful  to  them  for  their  kindness  to  her,  she  did  all  she 
could  to  make  them  miserable.  She  gave  them  nothing  but 
bread  to  eat,  and  very  little  of  that,  and  very  little  water  to 
drink ;  so  these  seven  poor  little  Princesses,  who  had  been 
accustomed  to  have  everything  comfortable  about  them,  and 


24  Indian   Fairy  Tales 


good  food  and  good  clothes  all  their  lives  long,  were  very 
miserable  and  unhappy  ;  and  they  used  to  go  out  every 
day  and  sit  by  their  dead  mother's  tomb  and  cry — and 
say  : 

*'  Oh  mother,  mother,  cannot  you  see  your  poor  children, 
how  unhappy  we  are,  and  how  we  are  starved  by  our  cruel 
step-mother  ?  " 

One  day,  whilst  they  were  thus  sobbing  and  crying,  lo 
and  behold  !  a  beautiful  pomelo  tree  grew  up  out  of  the 
grave,  covered  with  fresh  ripe  pomeloes,  and  the  children 
satisfied  their  hunger  by  eating  some  of  the  fruit,  and  every 
day  after  this,  instead  of  trying  to  eat  the  bad  dinner  their 
step-mother  provided  for  them,  they  used  to  go  out  to  their 
mother's  grave  and  eat  the  pomeloes  which  grew  there  on 
the  beautiful  tree. 

Then  the  Ranee  said  to  her  daughter,  ''  I  cannot  tell  how 
it  is,  every  day  those  seven  girls  say  they  don't  want  any 
dinner,  and  won't  eat  any  ;  and  yet  they  never  grow  thin 
nor  look  ill ;  they  look  better  than  you  do.  I  cannot  tell 
how  it  is."  And  she  bade  her  watch  the  seven  Princesses, 
and  see  if  any  one  gave  them  anything  to  eat. 

So  next  day,  when  the  Princesses  went  to  their  mother's 
grave,  and  were  eating  the  beautiful  pomeloes,  the  Prudhan's 
daughter  followed  them,  and  saw  them  gathering  the  fruit. 

Then  Balna  said  to  her  sisters,  "  Do  you  not  see  that 
girl  watching  us  ?  Let  us  drive  her  away,  or  hide  the 
pomeloes,  else  she  will  go  and  tell  her  mother  all  about  it, 
and  that  will  be  very  bad  for  us." 

But  the  other  sisters  said,  ''  Oh  no,  do  not  be  unkind, 
Balna.  The  girl  would  never  be  so  cruel  as  to  tell  her 
mother.      Let  us  rather  invite  her  to  come  and  have  some 


I 


Punchkin  25 

of  the  fruit."  And  calling  her  to  them,  they  gave  her  one 
of  the  pomeloes. 
V^k  No  sooner  had  she  eaten  it,  however,  than  the  Prudhan's 
^Daughter  went  home  and  said  to  her  mother,  'M  do  not 
l^^onder  the  seven  Princesses  will  not  eat  the  dinner  you 
I^Brepare  for  them,  for  by  their  mother's  grave  there  grows 
I^B  beautiful  pomelo  tree,  and  they  go  there  every  day  and 
eat  the  pomeloes.  I  ate  one,  and  it  was  the  nicest  I  have 
^ver  tasted." 

I^P  The  cruel  Ranee  was  much  vexed  at  hearing  this,  and 
all  next  day  she  stayed  in  her  room,  and  told  the  Raja 
that  she  had  a  very  bad  headache.  The  Raja  was 
deeply  grieved,  and  said  to  his  wife,  ''  What  can  I  do  for 
you?"  She  answered,  ^' There  is  only  one  thing  that 
will  make  my  headache  well.  By  your  dead  wife's  tomb 
there  grows  a  fine  pomelo  tree  ;  you  must  bring  that  here, 
and  boil  it,  root  and  branch,  and  put  a  little  of  the  water  in 
which  it  has  been  boiled,  on  my  forehead,  and  that  will  cure 
my  headache."  So  the  Raja  sent  his  servants,  and  had 
the  beautiful  pomelo  tree  pulled  up  by  the  roots,  and  did  as 
the  Ranee  desired  ;  and  when  some  of  the  water,  in  which 
it  had  been- boiled,  was  put  on  her  forehead,  she  said  her 
headache  was  gone  and  she  felt  quite  well. 

Next  day,  when  the  seven  Princesses  went  as  usual  to 
the  grave  of  their  mother,  the  pomelo  tree  had  disappeared. 
Then  they  all  began  to  cry  very  bitterly. 

Now  there  was  by  the  Ranee's  tomb  a  small  tank,  and 
as  they  were  crying  they  saw  that  the  tank  was  filled  with 
a  rich  cre*am-like  substance,  which  quickly  hardened  into  a 
thick  white  cake.  At  seeing  this  all  the  Princesses  were 
very  glad,  and  they  ate  some  of  the  cake,  and  hked  it ;  and 


2  6  Indian  Fairy  Tales 


next  day  the  same  thing  happened,  and  so  it  went  on  for 
many  days.  Every  morning  the  Princesses  went  to  their 
mother's  grave,  and  found  the  little  tank  filled  with  the 
nourishing  cream-like  cake.  Then  the  cruel  step-mother 
said  to  her  daughter  :  'M  cannot  tell  how  it  is,  I  have  had 
the  pomelo  tree  which  used  to  grow  by  the  Ranee's  grave 
destroyed,  and  yet  the  Princesses  grow  no  thinner,  nor 
look  more  sad,  though  they  never  eat  the  dinner  I  give 
them.      I  cannot  tell  how  it  is  !  " 

And  her  daughter  said,  ^'  I  will  watch." 

Next  day,  while  the  Princesses  were  eating  the  cream 
cake,  who  should  come  by  but  their  step-mother's  daughter. 
Balna  saw  her  first,  and  said,  ''  See,  sisters,  there  comes 
that  girl  again.  Let  us  sit  round  the  edge  of  the  tank  and 
not  allow  her  to  see  it,  for  if  we  give  her  some  of  our  cake, 
she  will  go  and  tell  her  mother ;  and  that  will  be  very  un- 
fortunate for  us. 

The  other  sisters,  however,  thought  Balna  unnecessarily 
suspicious,  and  instead  of  following  her  advice,  they  gave 
the  Prudhan's  daughter  some  of  the  cake,  and  she  went 
home  and  told  her  mother  all  about  it. 

The  Ranee,  on  hearing  how  well  the  Princesses  fared, 
was  exceedingly  angry,  and  sent  her  servants  to  pull  down 
the  dead  Ranee's  tomb,  and  fill  the  little  tank  with  the 
ruins.  And  not  content  with  this,  she  next  day  pretended 
to  be  very,  very  ill — in  fact,  at  the  point  of  death — and 
when  the  Raja  was  much  grieved,  and  asked  her  whether  it 
was  in  his  power  to  procure  her  any  remedy,  she  said  to 
him  :  *'  Only  one  thing  can  save  my  fife,  but  I  know  you 
will  not  do  it."  He  replied,  "  Yes,  whatever  it  is,  I  will 
do  it."     She  then  said,  "  To  save  my  life,  you  must  kill  the 


Punchkin  27 

seven  daughters  of  your  first  wife,  and  put  some  of  their 
blood  on  my  forehead  and  on  the  palms  of  my  hands,  and 
their  death  will  be  my  life."  At  these  words  the  Raja 
was  very  sorrowful ;  but  because  he  feared  to  break  his 
word,  he  went  out  with  a  heavy  heart  to  find  his  daughters. 

He  found  them  crying  by  the  ruins  of  their  mother's 
grave. 

Then,  feeling  he  could  not  kill  them,  the  Raja  spoke 
kindly  to  them,  and  told  them  to  come  out  into  the  jungle 
with  him ;  and  there  he  made  a  fire  and  cooked  some  rice,  and 
gave  it  to  them.  But  in  the  afternoon,  it  being  very  hot, 
the  seven  Princesses  all  fell  asleep,  and  when  he  saw  they 
were  fast  asleep,  the  Raja,  their  father,  stole  away  and  left 
them  (for  he  feared  his  wife),  saying  to  himself :  '*  It  is 
better  my  poor  daughters  should  die  here,  than  be  killed  by 
their  step-mother." 

He  then  shot  a  deer,  and  returning  home,  put  some  of 
its  blood  on  the  forehead  and  hands  of  the  Ranee,  and  she 
thought  then  that  he  had  really  killed  the  Princesses,  and 
said  she  felt  quite  well. 

Meantime  the  seven  Princesses  awoke,  and  when  they 
found  themselves  all  alone  in  the  thick  jungle  they  were 
much  frightened,  and  began  to  call  out  as  loud  as  they 
could,  in  hopes  of  making  their  father  hear ;  but  he  was 
by  that  time  far  away,  and  would  not  have  been  able  to 
hear  them  even  had  their  voices  been  as  loud  as  thunder. 

It  so  happened  that  this  very  day  the  seven  young  sons 
of  a  neighbouring  Raja  chanced  to  be  hunting  in  that  same 
jungle,  and  as  they  were  returning  home,  after  the  day's 
sport  was  over,  the  youngest  Prince  said  to  his  brothers: 
**  Stop,   I    think   I   hear  some  one  crying  and  calling  out. 


2  8  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

Do  you  not  hear  voices  ?  Let  us  go  in  the  direction  of  the 
sound,  and  find  out  what  it  is." 

So  the  seven  Princes  rode  through  the  wood  until  they 
came  to  the  place  where  the  seven  Princesses  sat  crying 
and  wringing  their  hands.  At  the  sight  of  them  the  young 
Princes  were  very  much  astonished,  and  still  more  so  on 
learning  their  story ;  and  they  settled  that  each  should 
take  one  of  these  poor  forlorn  ladies  home  with  him,  and 
marry  her. 

So  the  first  and  eldest  Prince  took  the  eldest  Princess 
home  with  him,  and  married  her. 

And  the  second  took  the  second  ; 

And  the  third  took  the  third  ; 

And  the  fourth  took  the  fourth  ; 

And  the  fifth  took  the  fifth  ; 

And  the  sixth  took  the  sixth  ; 

And  the  seventh,  and  the  handsomest  of  all,  took  the 
beautiful  Balna. 

And  when  they  got  to  their  own  land,  there  was  great 
rejoicing  throughout  the  kingdom,  at  the  marriage  of  the 
seven  young  Princes  to  seven  such  beautiful  Princesses. 

About  a  year  after  this  Balna  had  a  little  son,  and  his 
uncles  and  aunts  were  so  fond  of  the  boy  that  it  was  as  if 
he  had  seven  fathers  and  seven  mothers.  None  of  the 
other  Princes  and  Princesses  had  any  children,  so  the  son 
of  the  seventh  Prince  and  Balna  was  acknowledged  their 
heir  by  all  the  rest. 

They  had  thus  lived  very  happily  for  some  time,  when 
one  fine  day  the  seventh  Prince  (Balna's  husband)  said  he 
would  go  out  hunting,  and  away  he  went ;  and  they  waited 
long  for  him,  but  he  never  came  back. 


I 


Punchkin  29 


Then  his  six  brothers  said  they  would  go  and  see  what 
had  become  of  him  ;  and  they  went  away,  but  they  also  did 
not  return. 

»And  the  seven  Princesses  grieved  very  much,  for  they 
red  that  their  kind  husbands  must  have  been  killed. 
One  day,  not  long  after  this  had  happened,  as  Balna  was 
rocking  her  baby's  cradle,  and  whilst  her  sisters  were 
working  in  the  room  below,  there  came  to  the  palace  door 
a  man  in  a  long  black  dress,  who  said  that  he  was  a  Fakir, 
and  came  to  beg.  The  servants  said  to  him,  **  You  cannot 
go  into  the  palace — the  Raja's  sons  have  all  gone  away ; 
we  think  they  must  be  dead,  and  their  widows  cannot  be 
interrupted  by  your  begging."  But  he  said,  '^  I  am  a  holy 
man,  you  must  let  me  in."  Then  the  stupid  servants  let 
him  walk  through  the  palace,  but  they  did  not  know  that 
this  was  no  Fakir,  but  a  wicked  Magician  named  Punchkin. 
Punchkin  Fakir  wandered  through  the  palace,  and  saw 
many  beautiful  things  there,  till  at  last  he  reached  the  room 
where  Balna  sat  singing  beside  her  little  boy's  cradle.  The 
Magician  thought  her  more  beautiful  than  all  the  other 
beautiful  things  he  had  seen,  insomuch  that  he  asked  her  to 
go  home  with  him  and  to  marry  him.  But  she  said,  **  My 
husband,  I  fear,  is  dead,  but  my  little  boy  is  still  quite 
young ;  I  will  stay  here  and  teach  him  to  grow  up  a  clever 
man,  and  when  he  is  grown  up  he  shall  go  out  into  the 
world,  and  try  and  learn  tidings  of  his  father.  Heaven 
forbid  that  I  should  ever  leave  him,  or  marry  you."  At 
these  words  the  Magician  was  very  angry,  and  turned  her 
into  a  Httle  black  dog,  and  led  her  away ;  saying,  *'  Since 
you  will  not  come  with  me  of  your  own  free  will,  I  will 
make   you."      So    the    poor    Princess   was   dragged   away, 


30  Indian   Fairy  Tales 


without  any  power  of  effecting  an  escape,  or  of  letting  her 
sisters  know  what  had  become  of  her.  As  Punchkin 
passed  through  the  palace  gate  the  servants  said  to  him, 
^'  Where  did  you  get  that  pretty  little  dog  ? "  And  he 
answered,  ''  One  of  the  Princesses  gave  it  to  me  as  a 
present."  At  hearing  which  they  let  him  go  without 
further  questioning. 

Soon  after  this,  the  six  elder  Princesses  heard  the  little 
baby,  their  nephew,  begin  to  cry,  and  when  they  went 
upstairs  they  were  much  surprised  to  find  him  all  alone,  and 
Balna  nowhere  to  be  seen.  Then  they  questioned  the 
servants,  and  when  they  heard  of  the  Fakir  and  the  little 
black  dog,  they  guessed  what  had  happened,  and  sent  in 
every  direction  seeking  them,  but  neither  the  Fakir  nor  the 
dog  were  to  be  found.  What  could  six  poor  women  do  ? 
They  gave  up  all  hopes  of  ever  seeing  their  kind  husbands, 
and  their  sister,  and  her  husband,  again,  and  devoted 
themselves  thenceforward  to  teaching  and  taking  care  of 
their  little  nephew. 

Thus  time  went  on,  till  Balna's  son  was  fourteen  years 
old.  Then,  one  day,  his  aunts  told  him  the  history  of  the 
family  ;  and  no  sooner  did  he  hear  it,  than  he  was  seized 
with  a  great  desire  to  go  in  search  of  his  father  and  mother 
and  uncles,  and  if  he  could  find  them  alive  to  bring  them 
home  again.  His  aunts,  on  learning  his  determination, 
were  much  alarmed  and  tried  to  dissuade  him,  saying,  *'  We 
have  lost  our  husbands,  and  our  sister  and  her  husband, 
and  you  are  now  our  sole  hope  ;  if  you  go  away,  what  shall 
we  do?  "  But  he  replied,  '*  I  pray  you  not  to  be  discouraged  ; 
I  will  return  soon,  and  if  it  is  possible  bring  my  father  and 
mother  and  uncles  with  me."     So  he  set  out  on  his  travels  ; 


i 


Punchkin  3 1 


but  for  some  months  he  could  learn  nothing  to  help  him  in 
his  search. 

At  last,  after  he  had  journeyed  many  hundreds  of  weary 
^iles,  and  become  almost  hopeless  of  ever  hearing  anything 
further  of  his  parents,  he  one  day  came  to  a  country  that 
seemed  full  of  stones,  and  rocks,  and  trees,  and  there  he  saw 
a  large  palace  with  a  high  tower  ;  hard  by  which  was  a 
Malee's  little  house. 

As  he  was  looking  about,  the  Malee's  wife  saw  him,  and 
ran  out  of  the  house  and  said,  '^  My  dear  boy,  who  are  you 
that  dare  venture  to  this  dangerous  place?  "  He  answered, 
"  I  am  a  Raja's  son,  and  I  come  in  search  of  my  father, 
and  my  uncles,  and  my  mother  whom  a  wicked  enchanter 
bewitched." 

Then  the  Malee's  wife  said,  "  This  country  and  this 
palace  belong  to  a  great  enchanter ;  he  is  all  powerful,  and 
if  any  one  displeases  him,  he  can  turn  them  into  stones  and 
trees.  All  the  rocks  and  trees  you  see  here  were  living 
people  once,  and  the  Magician  turned  them  to  what  they 
now  are.  Some  time  ago  a  Raja's  son  came  here,  and 
shortly  afterwards  came  his  six  brothers,  and  they  were  all 
turned  inte>  stones  and  trees  ;  and  these  are  not  the  only 
unfortunate  ones,  for  up  in  that  tower  lives  a  beautiful 
Princess,  whom  the  Magician  has  kept  prisoner  there  for 
twelve  years,  because  she  hates  him  and  will  not  marry 
him." 

Then  the  little  Prince  thought,  '^  These  must  be  my 
parents  and  my  uncles.  I  have  found  what  I  seek  at  last." 
So  he  told  his  story  to  the  Malee's  wife,  and  begged  her  to 
help  him  to  remain  in  that  place  awhile  and  inquire  further 
concerning   the   unhappy  people   she   mentioned  ;  and   she 


32  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

promised  to  befriend  him,  and  advised  his  disguising 
himself  lest  the  Magician  should  see  him,  and  turn  him 
likewise  into  stone.  To  this  the  Prince  agreed.  So  the 
Malee's  wife  dressed  him  up  in  a  saree,  and  pretended  that 
he  was  her  daughter. 

One  day,  not  long  after  this,  as  the  Magician  was  walking 
in  his  garden  he  saw  the  little  girl  (as  he  thought)  playing 
about,  and  asked  her  who  she  was.  She  told  him  she  was 
the  Malee's  daughter,  and  the  Magician  said,  "  You  are  a 
pretty  little  girl,  and  to-morrow  you  shall  take  a  present  of 
flowers  from  me  to  the  beautiful  lady  who  lives  in  the 
tower. 

The  young  Prince  was  much  delighted  at  hearing  this, 
and  went  immediately  to  inform  the  Malee's  wife ;  after 
consultation  with  whom  he  determined  that  it  would  be 
more  safe  for  him  to  retain  his  disguise,  and  trust  to  the 
chance  of  a  favourable  opportunity  for  establishing  some 
communication  with  his  mother,  if  it  were  indeed  she. 

Now  it  happened  that  at  Balna's  marriage  her  husband 
had  given  her  a  small  gold  ring  on  which  her  name  was 
engraved,  and  she  had  put  it  on  her  little  son's  finger  when 
he  was  a  baby,  and  afterwards  when  he  was  older  his  aunts 
had  had  it  enlarged  for  him,  so  that  he  was  still  able  to 
wear  it.  The  Malee's  wife  advised  him  to  fasten  the  well- 
known  treasure  to  one  of  the  bouquets  he  presented  to  his 
mother,  and  trust  to  her  recognising  it.  This  was  not  to 
be  done  without  difficulty,  as  such  a  strict  watch  was  kept 
over  the  poor  Princess  (for  fear  of  her  ever  establishing 
communication  with  her  friends),  that  though  the  supposed 
Malee's  daughter  was  permitted  to  take  her  flowers  every 
day,  the  Magician  or  one  of  his  slaves  was  always  in  the 


Punchkin  33 

room  at  the  time.  At  last  one  da}'-,  however,  opportunity 
favoured  him,  and  when  no  one  was  looking,  the  boy  tied 
the  ring  to  a  nosegay,  and  threw  it  at  Balna's  feet.  It  fell 
with  a  clang  on  the  floor,  and  Balna,  looking  to  see  what 
made  the  strange  sound,  found  the  little  ring  tied  to  the 
flowers.  On  recognising  it,  she  at  once  believed  the  story 
her  son  told  her  of  his  long  search,  and  begged  him  to 
advise  her  as  to  what  she  had  better  do  ;  at  the  same  time 
entreating  him  on  no  account  to  endanger  his  life  by  trying 
to  rescue  her.  She  told  him  that  for  twelve  long  years 
the  Magician  had  kept  her  shut  up  in  the  tower  because  she 
refused  to  marry  him,  and  she  was  so  closely  guarded  that 
she  saw  no  hope  of  release. 

Now  Balna's  son  was  a  bright,  clever  boy,  so  he  said, 
^'  Do  not  fear,  dear  mother ;  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to 
discover  how  far  the  Magician's  power  extends,  in  order 
that  we  may  be  able  to  liberate  my  father  and  uncles, 
whom  he  has  imprisoned  in  the  form  of  rocks  and  trees. 
You  have  spoken  to  him  angrily  for  twelve  long  years  ; 
now  rather  speak  kindly.  Tell  him  you  have  given  up  all 
hopes  of  again  seeing  the  husband  you  have  so  long 
mourned,  and  say  you  are  willing  to  marry  him.  Then 
endeavour  to  find  out  what  his  power  consists  in,  and 
whether  he  is  immortal,  or  can  be  put  to  death." 

Balna  determined  to  take  her  son's  advice  ;  and  the  next 
day  sent  for  Punchkin,  and  spoke  to  him  as  had  been 
suggested. 

The  Magician,  greatly  delighted,  begged  her  to  allow  the 
wedding  to  take  place  as  soon  as  possible. 

But  she  told  him  that  before  she  married  him  he  must 
allow  her  a  little  more  time,  in  which  she  might  make  his 

c 


34  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

acquaintance,  and  that,  after  being  enemies  so  long,  their 
friendship  could  but  strengthen  by  degrees.  "  And  do  tell 
me,"  she  said,  "  are  you  quite  immortal  ?  Can  death  never 
touch  you  ?  And  are  you  too  great  an  enchanter  ever  to 
feel  human  suffering  ?  " 

"  Why  do  you  ask  ?  "  said  he. 

'*  Because,"  she  replied,  ^'  if  I  am  to  be  your  wife,  I  would 
fain  know  all  about  you,  in  order,  if  any  calamity  threatens 
you,  to  overcome,  or  if  possible  to  avert  it." 

^'  It  is  true,"  he  added,  "  that  I  am  not  as  others.  Far, 
far  away,  hundreds  of  thousands  of  miles  from  this,  there 
lies  a  desolate  country  covered  with  thick  jungle.  In  the 
midst  of  the  jungle  grows  a  circle  of  palm  trees,  and  in  the 
centre  of  the  circle  stand  six  chattees  full  of  water,  piled 
one  above  another  :  below  the  sixth  chattee  is  a  small  cage 
which  contains  a  little  green  parrot ;  on  the  life  of  the 
parrot  depends  my  life  ;  and  if  the  parrot  is  killed  I  must 
die.  It  is,  however,"  he  added,  ''  impossible  that  the  parrot 
should  sustain  any  injury,  both  on  account  of  the  inaccessi- 
bility of  the  country,  and  because,  by  my  appointment, 
many  thousand  genii  surround  the  palm  trees,  and  kill  all 
who  approach  the  place." 

Balna  told  her  son  what  Punchkin  had  said;  but  at  the  same 
time  implored  him  to  give  up  all  idea  of  getting  the  parrot. 

The  Prince,  however,  replied,  "  Mother,  unless  I  can  get 
hold  of  that  parrot,  you,  and  my  father,  and  uncles,  cannot 
be  liberated  :  be  not  afraid,  I  will  shortly  return.  Do  you, 
meantime,  keep  the  Magician  in  good  humour — still  putting 
off  your  marriage  with  him  on  various  pretexts  ;  and  before 
he  finds  out  the  cause  of  delay,  I  will  be  here."  So 
saying,  he  went  away. 


Punchkin  3  5 


L.„..,„.,. ,„ 

I^Kne  to  a  thick  jungle ;  and,  being  very  tired,  sat  down 
under  a  tree  an^  fell  asleep.  He  was  awakened  by  a  soft 
rustling  sound,  and  looking  about  him,  saw  a  large  serpent 
which  was  making  its  way  to  an  eagle's  nest  built  in  the 
tree  under  which  he  lay,  and  in  the  nest  were  two  young 
eagles.  The  Prince  seeing  the  danger  of  the  young  birds, 
drew  his  sword,  and  killed  the  serpent ;  at  the  same 
moment  a  rushing  sound  was  heard  in  the  air,  and  the  two 
old  eagles,  who  had  been  out  hunting  for  food  for  their  young 
ones,  returned.  They  quickly  saw  the  dead  serpent  and 
the  young  Prince  standing  over  it  ;  and  the  old  mother 
eagle  said  to  him,  '^  Dear  boy,  for  many  years  all  our  young 
ones  have  been  devoured  by  that  cruel  serpent ;  you 
have  now  saved  the  lives  of  our  children  ;  whenever  you 
are  in  need,  therefore,  send  to  us  and  we  will  help  3'ou ; 
and  as  for  these  little  eagles,  take  them,  and  let  them 
be  your  servants." 

At  this  the  Prince  was  very  glad,  and  the  two  eaglets 
crossed  their  wings,  on  which  he  mounted  ;  and  they  carried 
him  far,  far  away  over  the  thick  jungles,  until  he  came  to 
the  place  ^here  grew  the  circle  of  palm  trees,  in  the  midst 
of  which  stood  the  six  chattees  full  of  water.  It  was  the 
middle  of  the  day,  and  the  heat  was  very  great.  All  round 
the  trees  were  the  genii  fast  asleep  ;  nevertheless,  there 
were  such  countless  thousands  of  them,  that  it  would  have 
been  quite  impossible  for  any  one  to  walk  through  their 
ranks  to  the  place  ;  down  swooped  the  strong-winged 
eaglets — down  jumped  the  Prince  ;  in  an  instant  he  had 
overthrown  the  six  chattees  full  of  water,  and  seized  the 
little  green   parrot,  which  he  rolled  up  in  his  cloak  ;  while, 


36  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

as  he  mounted  again  into  the  air,  all  the  genii  below  awoke, 
and  finding  their  treasuffe  gone,  set  up  a  wild  and  melan- 
choly howl. 

Away,  away  flew  the  little  eagles,  till  they  came  to  their 
home  in  the  great  tree;  then  the  Prince  said  to  the  old 
eagles,  *'  Take  back  your  little  ones  ;  they  have  done  me 
good  service ;  if  ever  again  I  stand  in  need  of  help,  I  will 
not  fail  to  come  to  you."  He  then  continued  his  journey 
on  foot  till  he  arrived  once  more  at  the  Magician's  palace, 
where  he  sat  down  at  the  door  and  began  playing  with  the 
parrot.  Punchkin  saw  him,  and  came  to  him  quickly,  and 
said,  "  My  boy,  where  did  you  get  that  parrot  ?  Give  it  to 
me,  I  pray  you." 

Bat  the  Prince  answered,  '^  Oh  no,  I  cannot  give  away 
my  parrot,  it  is  a  great  pet  of  mine  ;  I  have  had  it  many 
years." 

Then  the  Magician  said,  ''  If  it  is  an  old  favourite,  I  can 
understand  your  not  caring  to  give  it  away ;  but  come 
what  will  you  sell  it  for?" 

''  Sir,"  replied  the  Prince,  ''  I  will  not  sell  my 
parrot." 

Then  Punchkin  got  frightened,  and  said,  "  Anything, 
anything ;  name  what  price  you  will,  and  it  shall  be 
yours."  The  Prince  answered,  ''  Let  the  seven  Raja's 
sons  whom  you  turned  into  rocks  and"  trees  be  instantly 
liberated." 

'*  It  is  done  as  you  desire,"  said  the  Magician,  *'  only  give 

me  my  parrot."      And  with   that,  by   a   stroke  of  his  wand, 

Balna's   husband   and   his  brothers    resumed   their   natural 

shapes.      "  Now,-  give  me  my  parrot,"  repeated  Punchkin. 

"  Not  so  fast,  my  master,"  rejoined  the  Prince  ;  "  I  must 


I 


Punchkin  37 


first   beg  that  you   will  restore  to  life  all  whom  you  have 
thus  imprisoned." 

The  Magician  immediately  waved  his  wand  again  ;  and, 
whilst  he  cried,  in  an  imploring  voice,  *'  Give  me  my 
parrot !  "  the  whole  garden  became  suddenly  alive  :  where 
rocks,  and  stones,  and  trees  had  been  before,  stood  Rajas, 
and  Pun^  and  Sirdars,  and  mighty  men  on  prancing 
horses,  ana  jewelled  pages,  and  troops  of  armed  attendants. 

I  ''  Give  me  my  parrot  !  "  cried  Punchkin.  Then  the  boy 
^B>k  hold  of  the  parrot,  and  tore  off  one  of  its  wings  ;  and 
as  he  did  so  the  Magician's  right  arm  fell  off. 

Punchkin  then  stretched  out  his  left  arm,  crying,  "  Give 
me  my  parrot  !  "  The  Prince  pulled  off  the  parrot's  second 
wing,  and  the  Magician's  left  arm  tumbled  off. 

"  Give  me  my  parrot !  "  cried  he,  and  fell  on  his  knees. 
The  Prince  pulled  off  the  parrot's  right  leg,  the  Magician's 
right  leg  fell  off :  the  Prince  pulled  off  the  parrot's  left  leg, 
down  fell  the  Magician's  left. 

Nothing  remained  of  him  save  the  limbless  body  and  the 
head  ;  but  still  he  rolled  his  eyes,  and  cried,  "  Give  me  my 
parrot !  "  "  Take  your  parrot,  then,"  cried  the  boy,  and 
with  that '  he  wrung  the  bird's  neck,  and  threw  it  at  the 
Magician ;  and,  as  he  did  so,  Punchkin's  head  twisted 
round,  and,  with  a  fearful  groan,  he  died  ! 

Then  they  let  Balna  out. of  the  tower  ;  and  she,  her  son, 
and  the  seven  Princes  went  to  their  own  country,  and  lived 
very  happily  ever  afterwards.  And  as  to  the  rest  of  the 
world,  every  one  went  to  his  own  house. 


The  Broken  Pot  ^ 

pf  T  ''P^  4l^  here  lived  in  a  certain  place  a  Brahman, 
Ylflff"  whose  name  was  Svabhavakr/pa;?a,  which 

means  "  a  born  miser."  He  had  col- 
lected a  quantity  of  rice  by  begging, 
and  after  having  dined  off  it,  he  filled 
a  pot  with  what  was  left  over.  He 
hung  the  pot  on  a  peg  on  the  wall,  placed  his  couch 
beneath,  and  looking  intently  at  it  all  the  night,  he  thought, 
^'Ah,  that  pot  is  indeed  brimful  of  rice.  Now,  if  there 
should  be  a  famine,  I  should  certainly  make  a  hundred 
rupees  by  it.  With  this  I  shall  buy  a  couple  of  goats. 
They  will  have  young  ones  every  six  months,  and  thus  I 
shall  have  a  whole  herd  of  goats.  Then,  with  the  goats,  I 
shall  buy  cows.  As  soon  as  they  have  calved,  I  shall  sell 
the  calves.  Then,  with  the  calves,  I  shall  buy  buffaloes  ; 
with  the  buffaloes,  mares.  When  the  mares  have  foaled,  I 
shall  have  plenty  of  horses  ;  and  when  I  s^ll  them,  plenty 
of  gold.  With  that  gold  I  shall  get  a  house  with  four 
wings.  And  then  a  Brahman  will  come  to  my  house,  and 
will  give  me  his  beautiful  daughter,  with  a  large  dowry. 
She  will   have  a   son,  and   I  shall   call   him   Somasarman. 


I 


The  Broken  Pot 


39 


When  he  is  old  enough  to  be  danced  on  his  father's  knee, 
I  shall  sit  with  a  book  at  the  back  of  the  stable,  and  while 
I  am  reading,  the  boy  will  see  me,  jump  from  his  mother's 
lap,  and  run  towards  me  to  be  danced  on  my  knee.  He 
will  come  too  near  the  horse's  hoof,  and,  full  of  anger,  I 
shall  call  to  my  wife,  '  Take   the  baby  ;  take  him  ! '      But 


she,  distracted  by  some  domestic  work,  does  not  hear  mc. 
Then  I  get  up,  and  give  her  such  a  kick  with  my  foot." 
While  he  thought  this,  he  gave  a  kick  with  his  foot,  and 
broke  the  pot.  All  the  rice  fell  over  him,  and  made  him 
quite  white.  Therefore,  I  say,  **  He  who  makes  foohsh 
plans  for  the  future  will  be  white  all  over,  like  the  father  of 
Somasarman." 


The  Magic   Fiddle 


i^ 


NCE  upon  a  time  there  lived  seven  brothers 
and  a  sister.  The  brothers  were  married, 
but  their  wives  did  not  do  the  cooking 
for  the  family.  It  was  done  by  their 
sister,  who  stopped  at  home  to  cook.  The 
wives  for  this  reason  bore  their  sister- 
in-law  much  ill-will,  and  at  length  they  combined  together 
to  oust  her  from  the  office  of  cook  and  general  provider, 
so  that  one  of  themselves  might  obtain  it.  They  said, 
"  She  does  not  go  out  to  the  fields  to  work,  but  remains 
quietly  at  home,  and  yet  she  has  not  the  meals  ready  at 
the  proper  time."  They  then  called  upon  their  Bonga, 
and  vowing  vows  unto  him  they  secured  his  good-w^ill  and 
assistance ;  then  they  said  to  the  Bonga,  "  At  midday 
when  our  sister-in-law  goes  to  bring  water,  cause  it  thus 
to  happen,  that  on  seeing  her  pitcher  the  water  shall 
vanish,  and  again  slowly  re-appear.  In  this  way  she  will 
be  delayed.  Let  the  water  not  flow  into  her  pitcher,  and 
you  may  keep  the  maiden  as  your  own." 

At   noon   when    she    went    to    bring  water,    it  suddenly 
dried   up  before  her,  and  she   began  to  weep.      Then  after 


■^PV 


The  Magic  Fiddle 


41 


while  the  water  began  slowly  to  rise.  When  it  reached 
her  ankles  she  tried  to  fill  her  pitcher,  but  it  would  not 
go  under  the  water.  Being  frightened  she  began  to  wail 
and  cry  to  her  brother  : 


^'  Oh  !   my  brother,  the  water  reaches  to  my  ankles, 
Still,  Oh  !   my  brother,  the  pitcher  will  not  dip." 
The  water  continued  to   rise  until  it  reached   her  knee, 
when  she  began  to  wail  again  : 


42  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

^'  Oh  !   my  brother,  the  water  reaches  to  my  knee, 
Still,  Oh  !   my  brother,  the  pitcher  will  not  dip." 
The   water   continued   to   rise,  and   when   it  reached  her 
waist,  she  cried  again  : 

^'  Oh  !   my  brother,  the  water '^teaches  to  my  waist. 
Still,  Oh  !   my  brother,  the  pitcher  will  not  dip." 
The  water  still  rose,  and  when  it  reached   her  neck  she 
kept  on  crying  : 

"  Oh  !   my  brother,  the  water  reaches  to  my  neck. 
Still,  Oh  !   my  brother,  the  pitcher  will  not  dip." 
At  length  the  water  became  so  deep  that  she  felt  herself 
drowning,  then  she  cried  aloud  : 

''  Oh  !   my  brother,  the  water  measures  a  man's  height, 

Oh  !   my  brother,  the  pitcher  begins  to  fill." 
The   pitcher  filled    with  water,    and   along   with    it    she 
sank  and  was  drowned.      The  Bonga  then  transformed   her 
into  a  Bonga  like  himself,  and  carried  her  off! 

After  a  time  sjie  re-appeared  as  a  bamboo  growing  on 
the  embankment  of  the  tank  in  which  she  had  been 
drowned.  When  the  bamboo  had  grown  to  an  immense 
size,  a  Jogi,  who  was  in  the  habit  of  passing  that  way, 
seeing  it,  said  to  himself,  ''  This  will  make  a  splendid  fiddle." 
So  one  day  he  brought  an  axe  to  cut  it  down  ;  but  when 
he  was  about  to  begin,  the  bamboo  called  out,  '*  Do  not  cut 
at  the  root,  cut  higher  up."  When  he  lifted  his  axe  to 
cut  high  up  the  stem,  the  bamboo  cried  out,  '^Do  not  cut 
near  the  top,  cut  at  the  root."  When  the  Jogi  again 
prepared  himself  to  cut  at  the  root  as  requested,  the 
bamboo  said,  "  Do  not  cut  at  the  root,  cut  higher  up  ;"  and 
when  he  was  about  to  cut  higher  up,  it  again  called  out  to 
him,  ''  Do  not  cut  high  up,  cut  at  the  root."     The  Jogi   by 


I 


The   Magic   Fiddle  43 

this  time  felt  sure  that  a  Bonga  was  trying  to  frighten 
him,  so  becoming  angry  he  cut  down  the  bamboo  at  the 
root,  and  taking  it  away  made  a  fiddle  out  of  it.  The 
instrument  had  a  superior  tone  and  delighted  all  who  heard 
it.  The  Jogi  carried  it  \^kh  him  when  he  went  a-begging, 
and  through  the  influence  of  its  sweet  music  he  returned 
l^bme  every  evening  with  a  full  wallet. 

He  now  and  then  visited,  when  on  his  rounds,  the 
house  of  the  Bonga  girl's  brothers,  and  the  strains  of  the 
fiddle  affected  them  greatly.  Some  of  them  were  moved 
even  to  tears,  for  the  fiddle  seemed  to  wail  as  one  in  bitter 
anguish.  The  elder  brother  wished  to  purchase  it,  and 
offered  to  support  the  Jogi  for  a  whole  year  if  he  would 
consent  to  part  with  his  wonderful  instrument.  The  Jogi, 
however,  knew  its  value,  and  refused  to  sell  it. 

It  so  happened  that  the  Jogi  some  time  after  went  to  the 
house  of  a  village  chief,  and  after  playing  a  tune  or  two  on 
his  fiddle  asked  for  something  to  eat.  They  offered  to 
buy  his  fiddle  and  promised  a  high  price  for  it,  but  he 
refused  to  sell  it,  as  his  fiddle  brought  to  him  his  means  of 
livelihood.  When  they  saw  that  he  was  not  to  be  prevailed 
upon,  they  gave  him  food  and  a  plentiful  supply  of  liquor. 
Of  the  latter  he  drank  so  freely  that  he  presently  became 
intoxicated.  While  he  was  in  this  condition,  they  took 
away  his  fiddle,  and  substituted  their  own  old  one  for  it. 
When  the  Jogi  recovered,  he  missed  his  instrument,  and 
suspecting  that  it  had  been  stolen  asked  them  to  return  it  to 
him.  They  denied  having  taken  it,  so  he  had  to  depart, 
leaving  his  fiddle  behind  him.  The  chief's  son,  being  a 
musician,  used  to  play  on  the  Jogi's  fiddle,  and  in  his  hands 
the  music  it  gave  forth  delighted  the  ears  of  all  who  heard  it. 


44  Indian  Fairy  Tales 

When  all  the  household  were  absent  at  their  labours  in 
the  fields,  the  Bonga  girl  used  to  come  out  of  the  bamboo 
fiddle,  and  prepared  the  family  meal.  Having  eaten  her  own 
share,  she  placed  that  of  the  chief's  son  under  his  bed,  and 
covering  it  up  to  keep  off  the  dust,  re-entered  the  fiddle. 
This  happening  every  day,  the  other  members  of  the  house- 
hold thought  that  some  girl  friend  of  theirs  was  in  this 
manner  showing  her  interest  in  the  young  man,  so  they  did 
not  trouble  themselves  to  find  out  how  it  came  about. 
The  young  chief,  however,  was  determined  to  watch,  and 
see  which  of  his  girl  friends  was  so  attentive  to  his  comfort. 
He  said  in  his  own  mind,  ''  I  will  catch  her  to-day,  and 
give  her  a  sound  beating  ;  she  is  causing  me  to  be  ashamed 
before  the  others."  So  saying,  he  hid  himself  in  a  corner 
in  a  pile  of  firewood.  In  a  short  time  the  girl  came  out  of 
the  bamboo  fiddle,  and  began  to  dress  her  hair.  Having 
completed  her  toilet,  she  ccoked  the  meal  of  rice  as  usual, 
and  having  eaten  some  herself,  she  placed  the  young 
man's  portion  under  his  bed,  as  before,  and  was  about  to 
enter  the  fiddle  again,  when  he,  running  out  from  his  hiding- 
place,  caught  her  in  his  arms.  The  Bonga  girl  exclaimed, 
"  Fie  !  Fie  I  you  may  be  a  Dom,  or  you  may  be  a  Hadi 
of  some  other  caste  with  whom  I  cannot  marry."  He 
said,  '*  No.  But  from  to-day,  you  and  I  are  one."  So 
they  began  lovingly  to  hold  converse  with  each  other. 
When  the  others  returned  home  in  the  evening,  they  saw 
that  she  was  both  a  human  being  and  a  Bonga,  and  they 
rejoiced  exceedingly. 

Now  in  course  of  time  the  Bonga  girl's  family  became 
very  poor,  and  her  brothers  on|]|^one  occasion  came  to  the 
chief's  house  on  a  visit. 


I 


The  Magic   Fiddle 


45 


The  Bonga  girl  recognised  them  at  once,  but  they  did 
not  know  who  she  was.  She  brought  them  water  on  their 
arrival,  and  afterwards  set  cooked  rice  before  them.  Then 
sitting  down  near  them,  she  began  in  wailing  tones  to  up- 
braid them  on  account  of  the  treatment  she  had  been  sub- 
jected to  by  their  wives.  She  related  all  that  had  befallen 
her,  and  wound  up  by  saying,  '^  You  must  have  known 
it  all,  and  yet  you  did  not  interfere  to  save  me."     And  that 

IS  all  the  revenge  she  took. 


The  Cruel  Crane  Outwitted 


ONG  ago  the  Bodisat  was  born  to  a  forest 
life  as  the  Genius  of  a  tree  standing 
near  a  certain  lotus  pond. 

Now  at  that  time  the  water  used  to 
run  short  at  the  dry  season  in  a  certain 
pond,  not  over  large,  in  which  there  were 
a  good  many  fish.  And  a  crane  thought  on  seeing  the 
fish: 

^^  I  must  outwit  these  fish  somehow  or  other  and  make  a 
prey  of  them." 

And  he  went  and  sat    down    at   the   edge  of  the  water, 
thinking  how  he  should  do  it. 

When  the  fish  saw  him,  they  asked  him,  ''  What  are  you 
sitting  there  for,  lost  in  thought  ?  " 

'*  I  am  sitting  thinking  about  you/'  said  he. 

*'  Oh,  sir !  what  are  you  thinking  about  us  ?  "  said  they. 


I 


The  Cruel  Crane  Outwitted      47 


"  Why,"  he  replied  ;  '*  there  is  very  httle  water  in  this 
pond,  and  but  little  for  you  to  eat  ;  and  the  heat  is  so  great! 
So  I  was  thinking,  ^  What  in  the  world  will  these  fish  do 
now  ? '  " 

''  Yes,  indeed,  sir !   what  are  we  to  do  ?  "  said  they. 

"  If  you  will  only  do  as  I  bid  you,  I  will  take  you  in  my 
beak  to  a  fine  large  pond,  covered  with  all  the  kinds  of 
lotuses,  and  put  you  into  it,"  answered  the  crane. 

"  That  a  crane,should  take  thought  for  the  fishes  is  a 
thing  unheard  of,  sir,  since  the  world  began.  It's  eating 
us,  one  after  the  other,  that  you're  aiming  at." 

"  Not  I  !  So  long  as  you  trust  me,  I  won't  eat  you. 
But  if  you  don't  believe  me  that  there  is  such  a  pond,  send 
one  of  you  with  me  to  go  and  see  it." 

Then  they  trusted  him,  and  handed  over  to  him  one  of 
their  number  —  a  big  fellow,  blind  of  one  eye,  whom 
they  thought  sharp  enough  in  any  emergency,  afloat  or 
ashore. 

Him  the  crane  took  with  him,  let  him  go  in  the  pond, 
showed  him  the  whole  of  it,  brought  him  back,  and  let  him 
go  again  close  to  the  other  fish.  And  he  told  them  all  the 
glories  of  the  pond. 

And  when  they  heard  what  he  said,  they  exclaimed,  "  All 
right,  sir!      You  may  take  us  with  you." 

Then  the  crane  took  the  old  purblind  fish  first  to  the 
bank  of  the  other  pond,  and  alighted  in  a  Varana-tree  grow- 
ing on  the  bank  there.  But  he  threw  it  into  a  fork  of 
the  tree,  struck  it  with  his  beak,  and  killed  it  ;  and  then  ate 
its  flesh,  and  threw  its  bones  away  at  the  foot  of  the  tree. 
Then  he  went  back  and  called  out : 

"  I've  thrown  that  fish  in  ;  let  another  one  come." 


48  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

And  in  that  manner  he  took  all  the  fish,  one  by  one,  and 
ate  them,  till  he  came  back  and  found  no  more  ! 

But  there  was  still  a  crab  left  behind  there  ;  and  the 
crane  thought  he  would  eat  him  too,  and  called  out  : 

*'  I  say,  good  crab,  I've  taken  all  the  fish  away,  and 
put  them  into  a  fine  large  pond.  Come  along.  I'll  take 
you  too  !  " 

*'  But  how  will  you  take  hold  of  me  to  carry  me  along  ?" 

"  I'll  bite  hold  of  you  with  my  beak." 

"  You'll  let  me  fall  if  you  carry  me  like  that.  I  won't  go 
with  you  !  " 

"  Don't  be  afraid  !  I'll  hold  you  quite  tight  all  the 
way." 

Then  said  the  crab  to  himself,  ''  If  this  fellow  once  got 
hold  of  fish,  he  would  never  let  them  go  in  a  pond  !  Now 
if  he  should  really  put  me  into  the  pond,  it  would  be  capital  ; 
but  if  he  doesn't — then  I'll  cut  his  throat,  and  kill  him  !  " 
So  he  said  to  him  : 

"  Look  here,  friend,  you  won't  be  able  to  hold  me  tight 
enough  ;  but  we  crabs  have  a  famous  grip.  If  you  let  me 
catch  hold  of  you  round  the  neck  with  my  claws,  I  shall  be 
glad  to  go  with  you." 

And  the  other  did  not  see  that  he  was  trying  to  outwit 
him,  and  agreed.  So  the  crab  caught  hold  of  his  neck  with 
his  claws  as  securely  as  with  a  pair  of  blacksmith's  pincers, 
and  called  out,  ''  Off  with  you,  now  !  " 

And  the  crane  took  him  and  showed  him  the  pond,  and 
then  turned  off  towards  the  Varana-tree. 

**  Uncle  !  "  cried  the  crab,  ''  the  pond  lies  that  way,  but 
you  are  taking  me  this  way  !  " 


I 


The  Cruel  Crane  Outwitted      49 


"  Oh,  that's  it,  is  it  ?  "  answered  the  crane.  "  Your  dear 
little  uncle,  your  very  sweet  nephew,  you  call  me  !  You 
mean  me  to  understand,  I  suppose,  that  I  am  your  slave, 
who  has  to  lift  you  up  and  carry  you  about  with  him ! 
Now  cast  your  eye  upon  the  heap  of  fish-bones  lying  at 
the  root  of  yonder  Varana-tree.  Just  as  I  have  eaten 
those  fish,  every  one  of  them,  just  so  I  will  devour  you  as 
well !  " 

"  Ah  !  those  fishes  got  eaten  through  their  own  stupidity," 
answered  the  crab  ;  ^'  but  I'm  not  going  to  let  you  eat  me. 
On  the  contrary,  is  it  you  that  I  am  going  to  destroy.  For 
you  in  your  folly  have  not  seen  that  I  was  outwitting  you. 
If  we  die,  we  die  both  together ;  for  I  will  cut  off  this  head 
of  yours,  and  cast  it  to  the  ground  !  "  And  so  saying,  he 
gave  the  crane's  neck  a  grip  with  his  claws,  as  with  a 
vice. 

Then  gasping,  and  with  tears  trickling  from  his  eyes,  and 
trembling  with  the  fear  of  death,  the  crane  beseeched  him, 
saying,  "  O  my  Lord  !  Indeed  I  did  not  intend  to  eat  you. 
Grant  me  my  life !  " 

''Well,  well!  step  down  into  the  pond,  and  put  me  in 
there." 

And  he  turned  round  and  stepped  down  into  the  pond, 
and  placed  the  crab  on  the  mud  at  its  edge.  But  the  crab 
cut  through  its  neck  as  clean  as  one  would  cut  a  lotus- 
stalk  with  a  hunting-knife,  and  then  only  entered  the 
water  ! 

When  the  Genius  who  lived  in  the  Varana-tree  saw  this 
strange  affair,  he  made  the  wood  resound  with  his  plaudits, 
uttering  in  a  pleasant  voice  the  verse  : 

D 


50  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

*'  The  villain,  though  exceeding  clever, 
Shall  prosper  not  by  his  villainy. 
He  may  win  indeed,  sharp-witted  in  deceit, 
But  only  as  the  Crane  here  from  the  Crab  ! 


Loving  Laili 


NCE  there  was  a  king  called  King  Dantal, 
who  had  a  great  many  rupees  and  soldiers 
and  horses.  He  had  also  an  only  son 
called  Prince  Majnun,  who  was  a  handsome 
boy  with  white  teeth,  red  lips,  blue  eyes, 
red  cheeks,  red  hair,  and  a  white  skin. 
This  boy  was  very  fond  of  playing  with  the  Wazir's  son, 
Husain  Mahamat,  in  King  Dantal's  garden,  which  was 
very  large  and  full  of  delicious  fruits,  and  flowers,  and  trees. 
They  used  to  take  their  little  knives  there  and  cut  the  fruits 
and  eat  them.  King  Dantal  had  a  teacher  for  them  to 
teach  them  to  read  and  write. 

One  day,  when  they  were  grown  two  fine  young  men, 
Prince  Majnun  said  to  his  father,  "  Husain  Mahamat  and  I 
should  like  to  go  and  hunt."  His  father  said  they  might 
go,  so  they  got  ready  their  horses  and  all  else  they  wanted 
for  their  hunting,  and  went  to  the  Phalana  country,  hunting 
all  the  way,  but  they  only  founds  jackals  and  birds. 

The  Raja  of  the  Phalana  country  was  called  Munsuk 
Raja,  and  he  had  a  daughter  named  Laili,  who  was  very 
beautiful ;   she  had  brown  eyes  and  black  hair. 


52  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

One  night,  some  time  before  Prince  Majnun  came  to  her 
father's  kingdom,  as  she  slept,  Khuda  sent  to  her  an  angel 
in  the  form  of  a  man  who  told  her  that  she  should  marry 
Prince  Majnun  and  no  one  else,  and  that  this  was  Khuda's 
command  to  her.  When  LaiH  woke  she  told  her  father  of 
the  angel's  visit  to  her  as  she  slept ;  but  her  father  paid  no 
attention  to  her  story.  From  that  time  she  began  repeating, 
"  Majnun,  Majnun  ;  I  want  Majnun,"  and  would  say  nothing 
else.  Even  as  she  sat  and  ate  her  food  she  kept  saying, 
"  Majnun,  Majnun  ;  I  want  Majnun."  Her  father  used  to 
get  quite  vexed  with  her.  ''  Who  is  this  Majnun  ?  who 
ever  heard  of  this  Majnun  ?"  he  would  say. 

"  He  is  the  man  I  am  to  marry,"  said  Laili.  *'  Khuda 
has  ordered  me  to  marry  no  one  but  Majnun."  And  she 
was  half  mad. 

Meanwhile,  Majnun  and  Husain  Mahamat  came  to  hunt 
in  the  Phalana  country ;  and  as  they  were  riding  about, 
Laili  came  out  on  her  horse  to  eat  the  air,  and  rode  behind 
them.  All  the  time  she  kept  saying,  "  Majnun,  Majnun  ;  I 
want  Majnun."  The  prince  heard  her,  and  turned  round. 
^^  Who  is  calling  me  ?  "  he  asked.  At  this  Laili  looked  at 
him,  and  the  moment  she  saw  him  she  fell  deeply  in  love 
with  him,  and  she  said  to  herself,  *^  I  am  sure  that  is 
the  Prince  Majnun  that  Khuda  says  I  am  to  marry."  And 
she  went  home  to  her  father  and  said,  ^'  Father,  I  wish  to 
marry  the  prince  who  has  come  to  your  kingdom  ;  for  I 
know  he  is  the  Prince  Majnun  I  am  to  marry." 

*'  Very  well,  you  shall  have  him  for  your  husband,"  said 
Munsuk  Raja.  ^'We  will  ask  him  to-morrow."  Laili 
consented  to  wait,  although  she  was  very  impatient.  As  it 
happened,  the  prince  left  the  Phalana  kingdom  that  night. 


Loving  Laili  53 

and  when  Laili  heard  he  was  gone,  she  went  quite  mad, 
She  would  not  listen  to  a  word  her  father,  or  her  mother, 
or  her  servants  said  to  her,  but  went  off  into  the  jungle, 
and  wandered  from  jungle  to  jungle,  till  she  got  farther  and 
farther  away  from  her  own  country.  All  the  time  she  kept 
saying,  ^'  Majnun,  Majnun  ;  I  want  Majnun  ;  and  so  she 
wandered  about  for  twelve  years. 

At  the  end  of  the  twelve  years  she  met  a  fakir — he  was 
really  an  angel,  but  she  did  not  know  this — who  asked  her, 
'*  Why  do  you  always  say,  *  Majnun,  Majnun  ;  I  want 
Majnun  '  ? "  She  answered,  '*  I  am  the  daughter  of  the 
king  of  the  Phalana  country,  and  I  want  to  find  Prince 
Majnun  ;  tell  me  where  his  kingdom  is." 

*'  I  think  you  will  never  get  there,"  said  the  fakir,  "  for 
it  is  very  far  from  hence,  and  you  have  to  cross  many 
rivers  to  reach  it."  But  Laili  said  she  did  not  care  ; 
she  must  see  Prince  Majnun.  ''  Well,"  said  the  fakir, 
''  when  you  come  to  the  Bhagirathi  river  you  will  see  a  big 
fish,  a  Rohu  ;  and  you  must  get  him  to  carry  you  to  Prince 
Majnun's  country,  or  you  will  never  reach  it." 

She  went  on  and  on,  and  at  last  she  came  to  the 
Bhagirathf  river.  There  was  a  great  big  fish  called  the 
Rohu  fish.  It  was  yawning  just  as  she  got  up  to  it, 
and  she  instantly  jumped  down  its  throat  into  its  stomach. 
All  the  time  she  kept  saying,  "  Majnun,  Majnun."  At  this 
the  Rohu  fish  was  greatly  alarmed  and  swam  down  the  river 
as  fast  as  he  could.  By  degrees  he  got  tired  and  went 
slower,  and  a  crow  came  and  perched  on  his  back,  and 
said  ''  Caw,  caw."  *^  Oh,  Mr.  Crow,"  said  the  poor  fish 
*'  do  see  what  is  in  my  stomach  that  makes  such  a  noise.'* 

"  Very  well,"   said   the  crow,   "  open  your  mouth  wide, 


54 


Indian   Fairy  Tales 


and  ril  fly  down  and  see."  So  the  Rohu  opened  his  jaws 
and  the  crow  flew  down,  but  he  came  up  again  very  quickly. 
*'  You  have  a  Rakshas  in  your  stomach,"  said  the  crow, 
and  he  flew  away.  This  news  did  not  comfort  the  poor 
Rohu,  and  he  swam  on  and  on  till  he  came  to  Prince 
Majnun's  country.      There  he  stopped.      And  a  jackal  came 


down   to  the  river  to  drink.      "Oh,  jackal,"  said  the  Rohu 
"Mo  tell  me  what  I  have  inside  me." 

b 

"How  can  I  tell?"  said  the  jackal.  ^' I  cannot  see 
unless  I  go  inside  you."  So  the  Rohu  opened  his  mouth 
wide,  and  the  jackal  jumped  down  his  throat ;  but  he  came 
up  very  quickly,  looking  much  frightened  and  saying, 
"  You  have  a  Rakshas  in  your  stomach,  and  if  I  don't  run 
away    quickly,   I   am   afraid    it   will  eat   me."      So    off"   he 


I 


Loving  Laili  55 


ran.  After  the  jackal  came  an  enormous  snake.  "  Oh," 
says  the  fish,  '*  do  tell  me  what  1  have  in  my  stomach,  for 
it  rattles  about  so,  and  keeps  saying,  **  Majnun,  Majnun  ;  I 
want  Majnun." 

The  snake  said,  '^  Open  your  mouth  wide,  and  I'll  go 
down  and  see  what  it  is."  The  snake  went  down  :  when 
he  returned  he  said,  '^  You  have  a  Rakshas  in  your  stomach, 
but  if  you  will  let  me  cut  you  open,  it  will  come  out  of 
you."  ''  If  you  do  that,  I  shall  die,"  said  the  Rohu.  "  Oh, 
no,"  said  the  snake,  ^^  you  will  not,  for  I  will  give  you  a 
medicine  that  will  make  you  quite  well  again."  So  the  fish 
agreed,  and  the  snake  got  a  knife  and  cut  him  open,  and 
out  jumped  Laili. 

She  was  now  very  old.  Twelve  years  she  had  wandered 
about  the  jungle,  and  for  twelve  years  she  had  lived  inside 
her  Rohu  ;  and  she  was  no  longer  beautiful,  and  had  lost 
her  teeth.  The  snake  took  her  on  his  back  and  carried  her 
into  the  country,  and  there  he  put  her  down,  and  she 
wandered  on  and  on  till  she  got  to  Majnun's  court-house, 
where  King  Majnun  was  sitting.  There  some  men  heard 
her  crying,  "  Majnun,  Majnun  ;  I  want  Majnun,"  and  they 
asked  her- what  she  wanted.  ^'  I  want  King  Majnun,"  she 
said. 

So  they  went  in  and  said  to  Prince  Majnun,  "  An  old 
woman  outside  says  she  wants  you."  "  I  cannot  leave 
this  place,"  said  he  ;  "  send  her  in  here."  They  brought 
her  in  and  the  prince  asked  her  what  she  wanted.  "  I 
want  to  marry  you,"  she  answered.  "  Twenty-four  years 
ago  you  came  to  my  father  the  Phalana  Raja's  country,  and 
I  wanted  to  marry  you  then  ;  but  you  went  away  without 
marrying  me.      Then   I   went   mad,   and   I   have  wandered 


56  Indian   Fairy   Tales 

about    all    these   years   looking   for  you."      Prince   Majnun 
said,  "Very  good." 

"Pray  to  Khuda,"  said  Laili,  "to  make  us  both  young 
again,  and  then  we  shall  be  married."  So  the  prince 
prayed  to  Khuda,  and  Khuda  said  to  him,  "  Touch  Laili's 
clothes  and  they  will  catch  fire,  and  when  they  are  on  fire, 
she  and  you  will  become  young  again."  When  he  touched 
Laili's  clothes  they  caught  fire,  and  she  and  he  became 
y6ung  again.  And  there  were  great  feasts,  and  they  were 
married,  and  travelled  to  the  Phalana  country  to  see  her 
father  and  mother. 

"^Now  Laili's  father  and  mother  had  wept  so  much  for 
their  daughter  that  they  had  become  quite  blind,  and  her 
father  kept  always  repeating,  "  Laili,  Laili,  Laili."  When 
Laili  saw  their  blindness,  she  prayed  to  Khuda  to  restore 
their  sight  to  them,  which  he  did.  As  soon  as  the  father 
and  mother  saw  Laili,  they  hugged  her  and  kissed  her,  and 
then  they  had  the  wedding  all  over  again  amid  great 
rejoicings.  Prince  Majnum  and  Laili  stayed  with  Munsuk 
Raja  and  his  wife  for  three  years,  and  then  they  returned 
to  King  Dantal,  and  lived  happily  for  some  time  with  him. 

They  used  to  go  out  hunting,  and  they  often  went  from 
country  to  country  to  eat  the  air  and  amuse  themselves. 

One  day  Prince  Majnun  said  to  Laili,  "  Let  us  go 
through  this  jungle."  **  No,  no,"  said  Laili ;  *'  if  we  go 
through  this  jungle,  some  harm  will  happen  to  me."  But 
Prince  Majnun  laughed,  and  went  into  the  jungle.  And  as 
they  were  going  through  it,  Khuda  thought,  "  I  should  like 
to  know  how  much  Prince  Majnun  loves  his  wife.  Would 
he  be  very  sorry  if  she  died  ?  And  would  he  marry 
another  wife  ?      I   will  see.       So  he  sent  one  of  his  angels 


Loving  Laili  57 

in  the  form  of  a  fakir  into  the  jungle  ;  and  the  angel  went 
up  to  Laili,  and  threw  some  powder  in  her  face,  and 
instantly  she  fell  to  the  ground  a  heap  of  ashes. 

Prince  Majnun  was  in  great  sorrow  and  grief  when  he 
saw  his  dear  Laili  turned  into  a  little  heap  of  ashes  ;  and 
he  went  straight  home  to  his  father,  and  for  a  long,  long 
time  he  would  not  be  comforted.  After  a  great  many  years 
he  grew  more  cheerful  and  happy,  and  began  to  go  again 
into  his  father's  beautiful  garden  with  Husain  Mahamat. 
King  Dantal  wished  his  son  to  marry  again.  ''  I  will  only 
have  Laili  for  my  wife  ;  I  will  not  marry  any  other  woman," 
said  Prince  Majnun. 

''  How  can  you  marry  Laili  ?  Laili  is  dead.  She  will 
never  come  back  to  you,"  said  the  father. 

''  Then  I'll  not  have  any  w^ife  at  all,"  said  Prince 
Majnun. 

Meanwhile  Laili  was  living  in  the  jungle  where  her 
husband  had  left  her  a  little  heap  of  ashes.  As  soon  as 
Majnun  had  gone,  the  fakir  had  taken  her  ashes  and  made 
them  quite  clean,  and  then  he  had  mixed  clay  and  water  with 
the  ashes,  and  made  the  figure  of  a  woman  with  them,  and 
so  Laili  regained  her  human  form,  and  Khuda  sent  Hfe  into 
it.  But  Laili  had  become  once  more  a  hideous  old  woman, 
with  a  long,  long  nose,  and  teeth  hke  tusks  ;  just  such  an 
old  woman,  excepting  her  teeth,  as  she  had  been  when  she 
came  out  of  the  Rohu  fish  ;  and  she  lived  in  the  jungle,  and 
neither  ate  nor  drank,  and  she  kept  on  saying,  *'  Majnun, 
Majnun  ;   I  want  Majnun." 

At  last  the  angel  who  had  come  as  a  fakir  and  thrown 
the  powder  at  her,  said  to  Khuda,  "  Of  what  use  is  it  that 
this  woman  should  sit  in  the  jungle  crying,  crying  for  ever. 


58  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

*  Majnun,  Majnun  ;  I  want  Majnun/  and  eating  and  drinking 
nothing  ?  Let  me  take  her  to  Prince  Majnun."  "  Well," 
said  Khuda,  '^  you  may  do  so  ;  but  tell  her  that  she  must 
not  speak  to  Majnun  if  he  is  afraid  of  her  when  he  sees 
her ;  and  that  if  he  is  afraid  when  he  sees  her,  she  will 
become  a  little  white  dog  the  next  day.  Then  she  must  go 
to  the  palace,  and  she  will  only  regain  her  human  shape 
when  Prince  Majnun  loves  her,  feeds  her  with  his  own  food, 
and  lets  her  sleep  in  his  bed." 

So  the  angel  came  to  Laili  again  as  a  fakir  and  carried 
her  to  King  Dantal's  garden.  ''  Now,"  he  said,  ''it  is 
Khuda's  command  that  you  stay  here  till  Prince  Majnun 
comes  to  walk  in  the  garden,  and  then  you  may  show 
yourself  to  him.  But  you  must  not  speak  to  him,  if  he  is 
afraid  of  you  ;  and  should  he  be  afraid  of  you,  you  will  the 
next  day  become  a  little  white  dog."  He  then  told  her 
what  she  must  do  as  a  little  dog  to  regain  her  human 
form. 

Laili  stayed  in  the  garden,  hidden  in  the  tall  grass,  till 
Prince  Majnun  and  Husain  Mahamat  came  to  walk  in  the 
garden.  King  Dantal  was  now  a  very  old  man,  and 
Husain  Mahamat,  though  he  was  really  only  as  old  as 
Prince  Majnun,  looked  a  great  deal  older  than  the  prince, 
who  had  been  made  quite  young  again  when  he  married 
Laili. 

As  Prince  Majnun  and  the  Wazir's  son  walked  in  the 
garden,  they  gathered  the  fruit  as  they  had  done  as  little 
children,  only  they  bit  the  fruit  with  their  teeth ;  they  did 
not  cut  it.  While  Majnun  was  busy  eating  a  fruit  in  this 
way,  and  was  talking  to  Husain  Mahamat,  he  turned 
towards  him  and  saw  Laili  walking  behind  the  Wazir's  son. 


eat 


Loving  Laili  59 

"  Oh,  look,  look  !  "  he  cried,  "  see  what  is  following  you  ; 
it  is  a  Rakshas  or  a  demon,  and  I  am  sure  it  is  going  to 
eat  us."  Laili  looked  at  him  beseechingly  with  all  her 
as,  and  trembled  with  age  and  eagerness  ;  but  this  only 
ightened  Majnun  the  more.  "  It  is  a  Rakshas,  a  Rakshas!" 
I  he  cried,  and  he  ran  quickly  to  the  palace  with  the  Wazir's 
IH>n ;  and  as  they  ran  away,  Laili  disappeared  into  the 
IBingle.  They  ran  to  King  Dantal,  and  Majnun  told  him 
■Hiere  was  a  Rakshas  or  a  demon  in  the  garden  that  had 
IHome  to  eat  them. 

IB  "What  nonsense,"  said  his  father.  **  Fancy  two  grown 
^Hien  being  so  frightened  by  an  old  ayah  or  a  fakir  !  And  if 
^rt  had  been  a  Rakshas,  it  would  not  have  eaten  you." 
Indeed  King  Dantal  did  not  believe  Majnun  had  seen  any- 
thing at  all,  till  Husain  Mahamat  said  the  prince  was 
speaking  the  exact  truth.  They  had  the  garden  searched 
for  the  terrible  old  woman,  but  found  nothing,  and  King 
Dantal  told  his  son  he  was  very  silly  to  be  so  much  frightened. 
However,  Prince  Majnun  would  not  walk  in  the  garden  any 
more. 

The  next  day  Laili  turned  into  a  pretty  little  dog ;  and 
in  this  shape  she  came  into  the  palace,  where  Prince  Majnun 
soon  became  very  fond  of  her.  She  followed  him  every- 
,  where,  went  with  him  when  he  was  out  hunting,  and  helped 
him  to  catch  his  game,  and  Prince  Majnun  fed  her  with 
milk,  or  bread,  or  anything  else  he  was  eating,  and  at  night 
the  little  dog  slept  in  his  bed. 

But  one  night  the  little  dog  disappeared,  and  in  its  stead 
there  lay  the  little  old  woman  who  had  frightened  him  so 
much  in  the  garden  ;  and  now  Prince  Majnun  was  quite  sure 
she  was  a  Rakshas,    or  a  demon,   or   some   such   horrible 


6o  Indian    Fairy  Tales 

thing  come  to  eat  him  ;  and  in  his  terror  he  cried  out, 
'^  What  do  you  want  ?  Oh,  do  not  eat  me  ;  do  not  eat 
me  !  "  Poor  Laili  answered,  ''  Don't  you  know  me  ?  I  am 
your  wife  LaiH,  and  I  want  to  marry  you.  Don't  you 
rem.ember  how  you  would  go  through  that  jungle,  though  I 
begged  and  begged  you  not  to  go,  for  I  told  you  that  harm 
would  happen  to  me,  and  then  a  fakir  came  and  threw 
powder  in  my  face,  and  I  became  a  heap  of  ashes.  But 
Khuda  gave  me  my  life  again,  and  brought  me  here,  after  I 
had  stayed  a  long,  long  while  in  the  jungle  crying  for  you, 
and  now  I  am  obliged  to  be  a  little  dog  ;  but  if  you  will 
marry  me,  I  shall  not  be  a  little  dog  any  more."  Majnun, 
however,  said  "  How  can  I  marry  an  old  woman  like  you  ? 
how  can  you  be  Laili  ?'  I  am  sure  you  are  a  Rakshas  or  a 
demon  come  to  eat  me,"  and  he  was  in  great  terror. 

In  the  morning  the  old  woman  had  turned  into  the  little 
dog,  and  the  prince  went  to  his  father  and  told  him  all  that 
had  happened.  "An  old  woman!  an  old  woman  !  always 
an  old  woman  !  "  said  his  father.  ^'  You  do  nothing  but 
think  of  old  women.  How  can  a  strong  man  like  you  be 
so  easily  frightened  ? "  However,  when  he  saw  that  his 
son  was  really  in  great  terror,  and  that  he  really  believed 
the  old  woman  would  came  back  at  night,  he  advised  him  to 
say  to  her,  **  I  will  marry  you  if  you  can  make  yourself  a 
young  girl  again.  How  can  I  marry  such  an  old  woman  as 
you  are  ?  " 

That  night  as  he  lay  trembling  in  bed  the  little  old 
woman  lay  there  in  place  of  the  dog,  crying  "  Majnun, 
Majnun,  I  want  to  marry  you.  I  have  loved  you  all  these 
long,  long  years.  When  I  was  in  my  father's  kingdom  a 
young  girl,  I   knew  of  ypu,  though  you  knew   nothing  of 


1 


Loving   Laili  6i 


me,  and  we  should  have  been  married  then  if  you  had  not 
gone  away  so  suddenly,  and  for  long,  long  years  I  followed 
you."  ^'Well,"  said  Majnun,  "  if  you  can  make  yourself  a 
young  girl  again,  I  will  marry  you." 

K  Laili  said,  ''Oh,  that  is  quite  easy.  Khuda  will  make 
e  a  young  girl  again.  In  two  days'  time  you  must  go 
to  the  garden,  and  there  you  will  see  a  beautiful  fruit, 
ou  must  gather  it  and  bring  it  into  your  room  and  cut  it 
)en  yourself  very  gently,  and  you  must  not  open  it  when 
your  father  or  anybody  else  is  with  you,  but  when  you  are 
quite  alone ;  for  I  shall  be  in  the  fruit  quite  naked,  without 
any  clothes  at  all  on."  In  the  morning  Laili  took  her  little 
dog's  form,  and  disappeared  in  the  garden. 

Prince  Majnun  told  all  this  to  his  father,  who  told  him  to 
do  all  the  old  woman  had  bidden  him.  In  two  days'  time 
he  and  the  Wazir's  son  walked  in  the  garden,  and  there 
they  saw  a  large,  lovely  red  fruit.  ''  Oh  !  "  said  the  Prince, 
"  I  wonder  shall  I  find  my  wife  in  that  fruit."  Husain 
Mahamat  wanted  him  to  gather  it  and  see,  but  he  would 
not  till  he  had  told  his  father,  who  said,  ''  That  must  be  the 
fruit ;  go  and  gather  it."  So  Majnun  went  back  and  broke 
the  fruit  off  its  stalk;  and  he  said  to  his  father,  "Come 
with  me  to  my  room  while  I  open  it ;  I  am  afraid  to  open 
it  alone,  for  perhaps  I  shall  find  a  Rakshas  in  it  that  will 
eat  me." 

*'  No,"  said  King  Dantal ;  "  remember,  Laili  will  be  naked  ; 
you  must  go  alone  and  do  not  be  afraid  if,  after  all,  a 
Rakshas  is  in  the  fruit,  for  I  will  stay  outside  the  door, 
and  you  have  only  to  call  me  with  a  loud  voice,  and  I  will 
come  to  you,  so  the  Rakshas  will  not  be  able  to  eat  you." 
Then   Majnun  took  the   fruit  and   began  to  cut  it  open 


62  Indian   Fairy   Tales 

tremblingly,  for  he  shook  with  fear  ;  and  when  he  had  cut 
it,  out  stepped  Laili,  young  and  far  more  beautiful  than  she 
had  ever  been.  At  the  sight  of  her  extreme  beauty,  Majnun 
fell  backwards  fainting  on  the  floor. 

Laili  took  off  his  turban  and  wound  it  all  round  herself 
like  a  sari  (for  she  had  no  clothes  at  all  on),  and  then  she 
called  King  Dantal,  and  said  to  him  sadly,  ^'  Why  has 
Majnun  fallen  down  like  this  ?  Why  will  he  not  speak  to 
me  ?  He  never  used  to  be  afraid  of  me  ;  and  he  has  seen 
me  so  many,  many  times." 

King  Dantal  answered,  '^  It  is  because  you  are  so  beauti- 
ful. You  are  far,  far  more  beautiful  than  you  ever  were. 
But  he  will  be  very  happy  directly."  Then  the  King  got 
some  water,  and  they  bathed  Majnun's  face  and  gave  him 
some  to  drink,  and  he  sat  up  again. 

Then  LaiH  said,  ''Why  did  you  faint  ?  Did  you  not  see 
I  am  Laili  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  "  said  Prince  Majnun,  ''  I  see  you  are  LaiH  come 
back  to  me,  but  your  eyes  have  grown  so  wonderfully 
beautiful,  that  I  fainted  when  I  saw  them."  Then  they 
were  all  very  happy,  and  King  Dantal  had  all  the  drums  in 
the  place  beaten,  and  had  all  the  musical  instruments  played 
on,  and  they  made  a  grand  wedding-feast,  and  gave 
presents  to  the  servants,  and  rice  and  quantities  of  rupees 
to  the  fakirs. 

After  some  time  had  passed  very  happily,  Prince  Majnun 
and  his  wife  went  out  to  eat  the  air.  They  rode  on  the 
same  horse,  and  had  only  a  groom  with  them.  They  came 
to  another  kingdom,  to  a  beautiful  garden.  "  We  must  go 
into  that  garden  and  see  it,"  said  Majnun. 

"  No,    no,"    said    Laili  ;    "  it    belongs    to    a    bad    Ra.ja, 


Loving  Laili  63 

Chumman  Basa,  a  very  wicked  man."  But  Majnun  insisted 
on  going  in,  and  in  spite  of  all  Laili  could  say,  he  got  off 
the  horse  to  look  at  the  flowers.  Now,  as  he  was  looking 
at  the  flowers,  Laili  saw  Chumman  Basa  coming  towards 
them,  and  she  read  in  his  eyes  that  he  meant  to  kill  her 
Jiusband  and  seize  her.  So  she  said  to  Majnun,  "  Come, 
>me,  let  us  go  ;  do  not  go  near  that  bad  man.  I  see  in 
eyes,  and  I  feel  in  my  heart,  that  he  will  kill  you  to 
ze  me." 

'^  What  nonsense,"  said  Majnun.  ''  I  believe  he  is  a 
jry  good  Raja.  Anyhow,  I  am  so  near  to  him  that  I 
mid  not  get  away." 

Well,"  said  Laih,  '^  it  is  better  that  you  should  be 
killed  than  I,  for  if  I  were  to  be  killed  a  second  time, 
Khuda  would  not  give  me  my  life  again  ;  but  I  can  bring 
you  to  life  if  you  are  killed."  Now  Chumman  Basa  had 
come  quite  near,  and  seemed  very  pleasant,  so  thought 
Prince  Majnun  ;  but  when  he  was  speaking  to  Majnun,  he 
drew  his  scimitar  and  cut  off  the  prince's  head  at  one  blow. 
Laili  sat  quite  still  on  her  horse,  and  as  tlje  Raja 
came  towards  her  she  said,  "  Why  did  you  kill  my 
husband  ?  " 

"  Because  I  want  to  take  you,"  he  answered. 
*'  You  cannot,"  said  Laili. 
''  Yes,  I  can,"  said  the  Raja. 

"  Take  me,  then,"  said  Laili  to  Chumman  Basa  ;  so  he 
came  quite  close  and  put  out  his  hand  to  take  hers  to  lift 
her  off  her  horse.  But  she  put  her  hand  in  her  pocket  and 
pulled  out  a  tiny  knife,  only  as  long  as  her  hand  was  broad, 
and  this  knife  unfolded  itself  in  one  instant  till  it  was  such 
a  length  !   and  then  Laili  made  a  great  sweep  with  her  arm 


64  Indian   Fairy   Tales 

and  her  long,  long  knife,  and  off  came  Chumman  Basa's  head 
at  one  touch. 

Then  Laili  slipped  down  off  her  horse,  and  she  went  to 
Majnun's  dead  body,  and  she  cut  her  little  finger  inside  her 
hand  straight  down  from  the  top  of  her  nail  to  her  palm, 
and  out  of  this  gushed  blood  like  healing  medicine.  Then 
she  put  Majnun's  head  on  his  shoulders,  and  smeared  her 
healing  blood  all  over  the  wound,  and  Majnun  woke  up  and 
said,  ''  What  a  delightful  sleep  I  have  had  !  Why,  I  feel 
as  if  I  had  slept  for  years  !  "  Then  he  got  up  and  saw  the 
Raja's  dead  body  by  Laih's  horse. 
''What's  that  ?  "  said  Majnun. 

"  That  is  the  wicked  Raja  who  killed  you  to  seize  me, 
just  as  I  said  he  would." 

"  Who  killed  him  ?  "  asked  Majnun. 

"  I  did,"  answered  Laili,  "  and  it  was  I  who  brought  you 
to  life." 

"  Do  bring  the  poor  man  to  life  if  you  know  how  to 
do  so,"  said  Majnun. 

"  No,"  said  Laili,  "  for  he  is  a  wicked  man,  and  will  try 
to  do  you  harm."  But  Majnun  asked  her  for  such  a  long 
time,  and  so  earnestly  to  bring  the  wicked  Raja  to  life,  that 
at  least  she  said,  "  Jump  up  on  the  horse,  then,  and  go  far 
away  with  the  groom." 

"  What  will  you  do,"  said  Majnun,  "  if  I  leave  you  ?  I 
cannot  leave  you." 

''  I  will  take  care  of  myself,"  said  Laili  ;  "  but  this  man 
is  so  wicked,  he  may  kill  you  again  if  you  are  near  him." 
So  Majnun  got  up  on  the  horse,  and  he  and  the  groom 
went  a  long  way  off  and  waited  for  Laili.  Then  she  set 
the  wicked  Raja's  head,  straight  on  his  shoulders,  and  she 


I 


Loving  Laili  65 


squeezed  the  wound  in  her  finger  till  a  little  blood-medicine 
came  out  of  it.  Then  she  smeared  this  over  the  place 
where  her  knife  had  passed,  and  just  as  she  saw  the  Raja 
opening  his  eyes,  she  began  to  run,  and  she  ran,  and  ran  so 
fast,  that  she  outran  the  Raja,  who  tried  to  catch  her  ;  and 
she  sprang  up  on  the  horse  behind  her  husband,  and  they 
rode    so    fast,    so    fast,    till   they   reached    King    Dental's 

I  lace. 
There  Prince  Majnun  told  everything  to  his  father,  who 
s  horrified  and  angry.  ^'  How  lucky  for  you  that  you 
have  such  a  wife,"  he  said.  "  Why  did  you  not  do  what 
she  told  you  ?  But  for  her,  you  would  be  now  dead." 
Then  he  made  a  great  feast  out  of  gratitude  for  his  son's 
safety,  and  gave  many,  many  rupees  to  the  fakirs.  And 
he  made  so  much  of  Laili.  He  loved  her  dearly  ;  he  could 
not  do  enough  for  her.  Then  he  built  a  splendid  palace 
for  her  and  his  son,  with  a  great  deal  of  ground  about  it, 
and  lovely  gardens,  and  gave  them  great  wealth,  and  heaps 
of  servants  to  wait  on  them.  But  he  would  not  allow 
any  but  their  servants  to  enter  their  gardens  and  palace, 
and  he  would  not  allow  Majnun  to  go  out  of  them,  nor 
Laili ;  *^  for,"  said  King  Dantal,  "  LaiH  is  so  beautiful,  that 
perhaps  some  one  may  kill  my  son  to  take  her  away." 


The  Tiger,  the  Brahman,  and 
the  Jackal 


NCE  upon  a  time,  a  tiger  was  caught  in  a 
trap.  He  tried  in  vain  to  get  out  through 
the  bars,  and  rolled  and  bit  with  rage  and 
grief  when  he  failed. 

By  chance   a  poor    Brahman    came   by. 
''  Let  me  out  of  this  cage,  oh  pious  one  !  " 
cried  the  tiger. 

*'  Nay,  my  friend,"  replied  the  Brahman  mildly,  '^  you 
would  probably  eat  me  if  I  did." 

"Not  at  all!"  swore  the  tiger  with  many  oaths;  *' on 
the  contrary,  I  should  be  for  ever  grateful,  and  serve  you 
as  a  slave  !  " 

Now  when  the  tiger  sobbed  and  sighed  and  wept  and 
swore,  the  pious  Brahman's  heart  softened,  and  at  last  he 
consented  to  open  the  door  of  the  cage.  Out  popped  the 
tiger,  and,  seizing  the  poor  man,  cried,  "  What  a   fool   you 


I 


Tiger,   Brahman,   and   Jackal       67 


are  !      What  is  to   prevent   my   eating  you  now,   for    after 
being  cooped  up  so  long  I  am  just  terribly  hungry  !  " 

In  vain  the  Brahman  pleaded  for  his  life  ;  the  most  he 
could  gain  was  a  promise  to  abide  by  the  decision  of  the 
first  three  things  he  chose  to  question  as  to  the  justice  of 
the  tiger's  action. 

So  the  Brahman  first  asked  a  pipal  tree  what  it  thought 
of  the  matter,  but  the  pipal  tree  replied  coldly,  ''  What  have 
you  to  complain  about  ?  Don't  I  give  shade  and  shelter  to 
every  one  who  passes  by,  and  don't  they  in  return  tear 
down  my  branches  to  feed  their  cattle  ?  Don't  whimper — 
be  a  man  !  " 

Then  the  Brahman,  sad  at  heart,  went  further  afield  till 
he  saw  a  buffalo  turning  a  well-wheel  ;  but  he  fared  no 
better  from  it,  for  it  answered,  "You  are  a  fool  to  expect 
gratitude  !  Look  at  me !  Whilst  I  gave  milk  they  fed  me 
on  cotton-seed  and  oil-cake,  but  now  I  am  dry  they  yoke 
me  here,  and  give  me  refuse  as  fodder !  " 

The  Brahman,  still  more  sad,  asked  the  road  to  give  him 
its  opinion. 

"  My  dear  sir,"  said  the  road,  '*  how  foolish  you  are  to 
expect  anything  else !  Here  am  I,  useful  to  everybody, 
yet  all,  rich  and  poor,  great  and  small,  trample  on  me  as 
they  go  past,  giving  me  nothing  but  the  ashes  of  their  pipes 
and  the  husks  of  their  grain  ! " 

On  this  the  Brahman  turned  back  sorrowfully,  and  on 
the  way  he  met  a  jackal,  who  called  out,  "Why,  what's  the 
matter,  Mr.  Brahman  ?  You  look  as  miserable  as  a  fish 
out  of  water  !  " 

The  Brahman  told  him  all  that  had  occurred. 
"  How  very  confusing ! "  said  the  jackal,   when  the  recital 


68  Indian  Fairy  Tales 

was  ended ;   ^!  would  you   mind  telling   me  over  again,    for 
everything  has  got  so  mixed  up  ?  " 

The  Brahman  told  it  all  over  again,  but  the  jackal  shook 
his  head  in  a  distracted  sort  of  way,  and  still  could  not 
understand. 

*'  It's  very  odd,"  said  he,  sadly,  ^'  but  it  all  seems  to  go 
in  at  one  ear  and  out  at  the  other !  I  will  go  to  the  place 
where  it  all  happened,  and  then  perhaps  I  shall  be  able  to 
give  a  judgment." 

So  they  returned  to  the  cage,  by  which  the  tiger  was 
waiting  for  the  Brahman,  and  sharpening  his  teeth  and 
claws. 

"  You've  been  away  a  long  time ! "  growled  the  savage 
beast,  *'  but  now  let  us  begin  our  dinner." 

"  Our  dinner !  "  thought  the  wretched  Brahman,  as  his 
knees  knocked  together  with  fright  ;  '^  what  a  remarkably 
delicate  way  of  putting  it  !  " 

^^  Give  me  five  minutes,  my  lord  !  "  he  pleaded,  ^'  in  order 
that  I  may  explain  matters  to  the  jackal  here,  who  is  some- 
what slow  in  his  wits." 

The  tiger  consented,  and  the  Brahman  began  the  whole 
story  over  again,  not  missing  a  single  detail,  and  spinning 
as  long  a  yarn  as  possible. 

"  Oh,  my  poor  brain  !  oh,  my  poor  brain  ! "  cried  the 
jackal,  wringing  its  paws.  ^'  Let  me  see !  how  did  it  all 
begin  ?     You  were  in  the  cage,  and  the  tiger  came  walking 

by " 

^'  Pooh  !  "  interrupted  the  tiger,  ''  what  a  fool  you  are  ! 
/  was  in  the  cage." 

^'  Of  course ! "  cried  the  jackal,  pretending  to  tremble 
with  fright ;  '^  yes  !  I  was  in  the  cage — no  I  wasn't  — dear ! 


I 


Tiger,   Brahman,  and  Jackal       69 


dear  !  where  are  my  wits  ?      Let  me  see — the  tiger  was  in 

the  Brahman,  and  the  cage  came  walking  by no,  that's 

not  it,  either  !     Well,  don't  mind  me,  but  begin  your  dinner, 
for  I  shall  never  understand  !  " 

"  Yes,  you  shall !  "  returned  the  tiger,  in  a  rage  at  the 
jackal's  stupidity  ;  "  I'll  make  you  understand  !  Look  here 
— I  am  the  tiger— " 


'^Yes,  my  lord!" 

"  And  that  is  the  Brahman- 

"  Yes,  my  lord  !  " 

"  And  that  is  the  cage 

"  Yes,  my  lord  !  " 


^B  *'  Yes — no Please,  my  lord " 

J^f  "Well?"  cried  the  tiger  impatiently. 

"  Please,  my  lord  ! — how  did  you  get  in  ?  " 

"  How  ! — why  in  the  usual  way,  of  course  !  " 

'*  Oh,  dear  me  ! — my  head  is  beginning  to  whirl   again  ! 

Please  don't  be  angry,   my   lord,    but    what    is   the   usual 

way  ?  " 

At  this  the  tiger   lost   patience,   and,  jumping  into  the 

cage,  cried,  ^'  This  way !      Now  do  you   understand   how  it 

was?"      • 

"  Perfectly  !  "  grinned  the  jackal,  as  he  dexterously  shut 

the  door,  *'  and  if  you  will  permit   me  to  say  so,   I   think 

matters  will  remain  as  they  were  ! " 


The  Soothsayer's  Son 

SOOTHSAYER  when  on  his  deathbed 
wrote  out  the  horoscope  of  his  second 
son,  whose  name  was  Gangazara,  and  be- 
queathed it  to  him  as  his  only  property, 
leaving  the  whole  of  his  estate  to  his 
eldest  son.  The  second  son  thought 
over  the  horoscope,  and  said  to  himself: 

'^  Alas  !  am  I  born  to  this  only  in  the  world  ?  The  say- 
ings of  my  father  never  failed.  I  have  seen  them  prove 
true  to  the  last  word  while  he  was  living  ;  and  how  has  he 
fixed  my  horoscope  !  *  From  my  birth  poverty ! '  Nor 
is  that  fty  only  fate.  *  For  ten  years,  imprisonment' 
— a  fate  harder  than  poverty  ;  and  what  comes  next  ? 
*  Death  on  the  sea-shore';  which  means  that  I  must 
die  away  from  home,  far  from  friends  and  relatives  on  a 
sea-coast.  Now  comes  the  most  curious  part  of  the  horo- 
scope, that  I  am  to  *  have  some  happiness  afterwards  I ' 
What  this  happiness  is,  is  an  enigma  to  me." 

Thus  thought  he,  and  after  all  the  funeral  obsequies  of 
his  father  were  over,  took  leave  of  his  elder  brother,  and 
started  for  Benares.     He  went  by  the  middle  of  the  Deccan, 


tf 


vi 


The  Soothsayer's  Son  71 

avoiding  both  the  coasts,  and  went  on  journeying  and 
^ourneying  for  weeks  and  months,  till  at  last  he  reached  the 
indhya  mountains.  While  passing  that  desert  he  had  to 
journey  for  a  couple  of  days  through  a  sandy  plain,  with  no 
signs  of  life  or  vegetation.  The  little  store  of  provision 
ith  which  he  was  provided  for  a  couple  of  days,  at  last 
as  exhausted.  The  chombu,  which  he  carried  always  full, 
filling  it  with  the  sweet  water  from  the  flowing  rivulet  or 
plenteous  tank,  he  had  exhausted  in  the  heat  of  the  desert. 
There  was  not  a  morsel  in  his  hand  to  eat ;  nor  a  drop  of 
water  to  drink.  Turn  his  eyes  wherever  he  might  he  found 
a  vast  desert,  out  of  which  he  saw  no  means  of  escape. 
Still  he  thought  within  himself,  ''Surely  my  father's 
prophecy  never  proved  untrue.  I  must  survive  this 
calamity  to  find  my  death  on  some  sea-coast."  So  thought 
he,  and  this  thought  gave  him  strength  of  mind  to  walk  fast 
and  try  to  find  a  drop  of  water  somewhere  to  slake  his  dry 
throat. 

At  last  he  succeeded  ;  heaven  threw  in  his  way  a  ruined 
well.  He  thought  he  could  collect  some  water  if  he  let 
down  his  chombu  with  the  string  that  he  always  carried 
noosed  to  the  neck  of  it.  Accordingly  he  let  it  obwn  ;  it 
went  som"e  way  and  stopped,  and  the  following  words  came 
from  the  well :  "  Oh,  reheve  me  !  I  am  the  king  of  tigers, 
dying  here  of  hunger.  For  the  last  three  days  I  have  had 
nothing.  Fortune  has  sent  you  here.  If  you  assist  me 
now  you  will  find  a  sure  help  in  me  throughout  your  life. 
Do  not  think  that  I  am  a  beast  of  prey.  When  you  have 
become  my  dehverer  I  will  never  touch  you.  Pray,  kindly 
lift  me  up."  Gangazara  thought:  ''Shall  I  take  him  out  or 
not  ?     If  I  take  him  out  he  may  make  me  the  first  morsel  of 


72 


Indian   Fairy  Tales 


his  hungry  mouth.     No  ;  that  he  will  not  do.     For  my  father's 
prophecy  never  came  untrue.      I   must  die  on   a  sea- coast, 

and  not  by  a  tiger."  Thus  think- 
ing, he  asked  the  tiger-king  to 
hold  tight  to  the  vessel,  which 
he  accordingly  did,  and  he  lifted 
him  up  slowly.  The  tiger  reached 
the  top  of  the  well  and  felt  him- 
self on  safe  ground.  True  to  his 
word,  he  did  no  harm  to  Gan- 
gazara.  On  the  other  hand,  he 
walked  round  his  patron  three 
times,  and  standing  before  him, 
humbly  spoke  the  following 
words :  ''  My  life-giver,  my 
benefactor  !  I  shall  never  forget 
this  day,  when  I  regained  my 
life  through  your  kind  hands. 
In  return  for  this  kind  assistance 
I  pledge  my  oath  to  stand  by 
you  in  all  calamities.  When- 
ever you  are  in  any  difficulty 
just  think  of  me.  1  am  there 
with  you  ready  to  oblige  you  by 
all  the  means  that  I  can.  To 
tell  you  briefly  how  I  came  in 
here :  Three  days  ago  I  was 
roaming  in  yonder  forest,  when 
I  saw  a  goldsmith  passing  through 
it.  I  chased  him.  He,  finding  it  impossible  to  escape  my 
claws,  jumped  into  this  well,  and  is  living  to  this  moment 


I 


The  Soothsayer's  Son  73 


m  the  very  bottom  of  it.  I  also  jumped  in,  but  found 
myself  on  the  first  ledge  of  the  well ;  he  is  on  the  last  and 
fourth  ledge.  In  the  second  lives  a  serpent  half-famished 
with  hunger.  On  the  third  lies  a  rat,  also  half-famished, 
and  when  you  again  begin  to  draw  water  these  may 
request  you  first  to  release  them.  In  the  same  way  the 
goldsmith  also  may  ask  you.  I  beg  you,  as  your  bosom 
friend,  never  assist  that  wretched  man,  though  he  is  your 
relation  as  a  human  being.  Goldsmiths  are  never  to  be 
trusted.  You  can  place  more  faith  in  me,  a  tiger,  though 
I  feast  sometimes  upon  men,  in  a  serpent,  whose  sting 
makes  your  blood  cold  the  very  next  moment,  or  in  a  rat, 
which  does  a  thousand  pieces  of  mischief  in  your  house. 
But  never  trust  a  goldsmith.  Do  not  release  him ;  and  if 
you  do,  you  shall  surely  repent  of  it  one  day  or  other." 
Thus  advising,  the  hungry  tiger  went  away  without  waiting 
for  an  answer. 

Gangazara  thought  several  times  of  the  eloquent  way  in 
which  the  tiger  spoke,  and  admired  his  fluency  of  speech. 
But  still  his  thirst  was  not  quenched.  So  he  let  down  his 
vessel  again,  which  was  now  caught  hold  of  by  the  serpent, 
who  addressed  him  thus  :  **  Oh,  my  protector  !  Lift  me 
up.  I  am  the  king  of  serpents,  and  the  son  of  Adisesha, 
who  is  now  pining  away  in  agony  for  my  disappearance. 
Release  me  now.  I  shall  ever  remain  your  servant,  re- 
member your  assistance,  and  help  3'ou  throughout  life  in  all 
possible  ways.  Oblige  me :  I  am  dying."  Gangazara, 
calling  again  to  mind  the  '*  death  on  the  sea-shore" 
of  the  prophecy  lifted  him  up.  He,  like  the  tiger-king, 
walked  round  him  thrice,  and  prostrating  himself  before  him 
spoke  thus  :      *'  Oh,  my  life-giver,  my  father,  for  so  I  must 


74  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

call  you,  as  you  have  given  me  another  birth.  I  was  three 
days  ago  basking  myself  in  the  morning  sun,  when  I  saw  a 
rat  running  before  me.  I  chased  him.  He  fell  into  this 
well.  I  followed  him,  but  instead  of  falling  on  the  third 
storey  where  he  is  now  lying,  I  fell  into  the  second.  I  am 
going  away  now  to  see  my  father.  Whenever  you  are  in 
any  difficulty  just  think  of  me.  I  will  be  there  b}^  your  side 
to  assist  you  by  all  possible  means."  So  saying,  the  Nagaraja 
glided  away  in  zigzag  movements,  and  was  out  of  sight  in 
a  moment. 

The  poor  son  of  the  Soothsayer,  who  was  now  almost 
dying  of  thirst,  let  down  his  vessel  for  a  third  time.  The- 
rat  caught  hold  of  it,  and  without  discussing  he  lifted  up 
the  poor  animal  at  once.  But  it  would  not  go  away  with- 
out showing  its  gratitude :  "  Oh,  life  of  my  life !  My 
benefactor !  I  am  the  king  of  rats.  Whenever  you  are  in 
any  calamity  just  think  of  me.  I  will  come  to  you,  and 
assist  you.  My  keen  ears  overheard  all  that  the  tiger-king 
told  you  about  the  goldsmith,  who  is  in  the  fourth  storey. 
It  is  nothing  but  a  sad  truth  that  goldsmiths  ought  never 
to  be  trusted.  Therefore,  never  assist  him  as  you  have  done 
to  us  all.  And  if  you  do,  you  will  suffer  for  it.  I  am 
hungry  ;  let  me  go  for  the  present."  Thus  taking  leave  of 
his  benefactor,  the  rat,  too,  ran  away. 

Gangazara  for  a  while  thought  upon  the  repeated  advice 
given  by  the  three  animals  about  releasing  the  goldsmith  : 
'*  What  wrong  would  there  be  in  my  assisting  him  ?  Why 
should  I  not  release  him  also  ?  "  So  thinking  to  himself, 
Gangazara  let  down  the  vessel  again.  The  goldsmith 
caught  hold  of  it,  and  demanded  help.  The  Soothsayer's 
son  had  no  time  to  lose  ;  he  was  himself  dying  of  thirst. 


The  Soothsayer's  Son  75 

lerefore  he  lifted  the  goldsmith  up,  who  now  began  his 
story.  ''  Stop  for  a  while/'  said  Gangazara,  and  after 
quenching  his  thirst  by  letting  down  his  vessel  for  the  fifth 
time,  still  fearing  that  some  one  might  remain  in  the  well 
and  demand  his  assistance,  he  listened  to  the  goldsmith, 
who  began  as  follows :  "  My  dear  friend,  my  protector, 
what  a  deal  of  nonsense  these  brutes  have  been  talking  to 
you  about  me  ;  I  am  glad  you  have  not  followed  their  advice. 
I  am  just  now  dying  of  hunger.  Permit  me  to  go  away. 
My  name  is  Manikkasari.  I  live  in  the  East  main  street  of 
Ujjaini,  which  is  twenty  kas  to  the  south  of  this  place,  and 
so  lies  on  your  way  when  you  return  from  Benares.  Do 
not  forget  to  come  to  me  and  receive  my  kind  remembrances 
of  your  assistance,  on  your  w^ay  back  to  your  country." 
So  saymg,  the  goldsmith  took  his  leave,  and  Gangazara  also 
pursued  his  way  north  after  the  above  adventures. 

He  reached  Benares,  and  lived  there  for  more  than  ten 
years,  and  quite  forgot  the  tiger,  serpent,  rat,  and  goldsmith. 
After  ten  years  of  religious  life,  thoughts  of  home  and  of  his 
brother  rushed  into  his  mind.  "  I  have  secured  enough 
merit  now  by  my  religious  observances.  Let  me  return 
home."  Thus  thought  Gangazara  within  himself,  and 
very  soori  he  was  on  his  way  back  to  his  country. 
Remembering  the  prophecy  of  his  father  he  returned  by  the 
same  way  by  which  he  went  to  Benares  ten  years  before. 
While  thus  retracing  his  steps  he  reached  the  ruined  well 
where  he  had  released  the  three  brute  kings  and  the  gold- 
smith. At  once  the  old  recollections  rushed  into  his  mind, 
and  he  thought  of  the  tiger  to  test  his  fidelity.  Only  a 
moment  passed,  and  the  tiger-king  came  running  before  him 
carrying   a  large   crown   in   his   mouth,    the   glitter  of  the 


76  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

diamonds  of  which  for  a  time  outshone  even  the  bright  rays 
of  the  sun.  He  dropped  the  crown  at  his  life-giver's  feet, 
and,  putting  aside  all  his  pride,  humbled  himself  like  a  pet 
cat  to  the  strokes  of  his  protector,  and  began  in  the  follow- 
ing words  :  ^'  My  life-giver  !  How  is  it  that  you  have 
forgotten  me,  your  poor  servant,  for  such  a  long  time  ?  I 
am  glad  to  find  that  I  still  occupy  a  corner  in  your  mind.  I 
can  never  forget  the  day  when  I  owed  my  life  to  your  lotus 
hands.  I  have  several  jewels  with  me  of  little  value.  This 
crown,  being  the  best  of  all,  I  have  brought  here  as  a  single 
ornament  of  great  value,  which  you  can  carry  with  you 
and  dispose  of  in  your  own  country."  Gangazara  looked  at 
the  crown,  examined  it  over  and  over,  counted  and  recounted 
the  gems,  and  thought  within  himself  that  he  would  become 
the  richest  of  men  by  separating  the  diamonds  and  gold,  and 
selling  them  in  his  own  country.  He  took  leave  of  the 
tiger-king,  and  after  his  disappearance  thought  of  the  kings 
of  serpents  and  rats,  who  came  in  their  turn  with  their 
presents,  and.  after  the  usual  greetings  and  exchange  of 
words  took  their  leave.  Gangazara  was  extremely  delighted 
at  the  faithfulness  with  which  the  brute  beasts  behaved,  and 
went  on  his  way  to  the  south.  While  going  along  he  spoke 
to  himself  thus  :  ''  These  beasts  have  been  very  faithful 
in  their  assistance.  Much  more,  therefore,  must  Manikkasari 
be  faithful.  I  do  not  want  anything  from  him  now.  If  I 
take  this  crown  with  me  as  it  is,  it  occupies  much  space  in 
my  bundle.  It  may  also  excite  the  curiosity  of  some  robbers 
on  the  way.  I  will  go  now  to  Ujjaini  on  my  way. 
Manikkasari  requested  me  to  see  him  without  failure  on  my 
return  journey.  I  shall  do  so,  and  request  him  to  have  the 
crown  melted,  the  diamonds  and  gold  separated.      He  must 


The  Soothsayer's  Son  77 

do  that  kindness  at  least  for  me.  I  shall  then  roll  up  these 
diamonds  and  gold  ball  in  my  rags,  and  wend  my  way 
homewards."  Thus  thinking  and  thinking,  he  reached 
Ujjaini.      At  once  he  inquired  for  the  house  of  his  goldsmith 

iend,  and  found  him  without  difficulty.  Manikkasari  was 
tremely  delighted  to  find  on  his  threshold  him  who  ten 
lars  before,  notwithstanding  the  advice  repeatedly  given 
m  by  the  sage-looking  tiger,  serpent,  and  rat,  had  relieved 
m  from  the  pit  of  death.  Gangazara  at  once  showed  him 
e  crown  that  he  received  from  the  tiger-king,  told  him  how 
he  got  it,  and  requested  his  kind  assistance  to  separate  the 
gold  and  diamonds.  Manikkasari  agreed  to  do  so,  and 
meanwhile  asked  his  friend  to  rest  himself  for  a  while  to 
have  his  bath  and  meals ;  and  Gangazara,  who  was  very 
observant  of  his  religious  ceremonies,  went  direct  to  the 
river  to  bathe. 

How  came  the  crown  in  the  jaws  of  the  tiger  ?  The  king 
of  Ujjaini  had  a  week  before  gone  with  all  his  hunters  on  a 
hunting  expedition.  All  of  a  sudden  the  tiger-king  started 
from  the  wood,  seized  the  king,  and  vanished. 

When  the  king's  attendants  informed  the  prince  about  the 
death  of  his  father  he  wept  and  wailed,  and  gave  notice  that 
he  would  give  half  of  his  kingdom  to  any  one  who  should 
bring  him  news  about  the  murderer  of  his  father.  The 
goldsmith  knew  full  well  that  it  was  a  tiger  that  killed  the 
king,  and  not  any  hunter's  hands,  since  he  had  heard 
from  Gangazara  how  he  obtained  the  crown.  Still,  he 
resolved  to  denounce  Gangazara  as  the  king's  murderer,  so, 
hiding  the  crown  under  his  garments,  he  flew  to  the  palace. 
He  went  before  the  prince  and  informed  him  that  the 
assassin  was   caught,   and    placed    the    crown    before   him. 


78  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

The  prince  took  it  into  his  hands,  examined  it,  and  at 
once  gave  half  the  kingdom  to  Manikkasari,  and  then 
inquired  about  the  murderer.  '^  He  is  bathing  in  the  river, 
and  is  of  such  and  such  appearance,"  was  the  reply. 
At  once  four  armed  soldiers  flew  to  the  river,  and  bound  the 
poor  Brahman  hand  and  foot,  while  he,  sitting  in  meditation, 
was  without  any  knowledge  of  the  fate  that  hung  over  him. 
They  brought  Gangazara  to  the  presence  of  the  prince,  who 
turned  his  face  away  from  the  supposed  murderer,  and  asked 
his  soldiers  to  throw  him  into  a  dungeon.  In  a  minute, 
without  knowing  the  cause,  the  poor  Brahman  found  him- 
self in  the  dark  dungeon. 

It  was  a  dark  cellar  underground,  built  with  strong  stone 
walls,  into  which  any  criminal  guilty  of  a  capital  offence 
was  ushered  to  breathe  his  last  there  without  food  and 
drink.  Such  was  the  cellar  into  which  Gangazara  was 
thrust.  What  were  his  thoughts  when  he  reached  that 
place  ?  ''  It  is  of  no  use  to  accuse  either  the  goldsmith  or 
the  prince  now.  We  are  all  the  children  of  fate.  We 
must  obey  her  commands.  This  is  but  the  first  day  of  my 
father's  prophecy.  So  far  his  statement  is  true.  But  how 
am  I  going  to  pass  ten  years  here  ?  Perhaps  without  any- 
thing to  sustain  life  I  may  drag  on  my  existence  for  a  day 
or  two.  But  how  pass  ten  years  ?  That  cannot  be,  and  I 
must  die.  Before  death  comes  let  me  think  of  my  faithful 
brute  friends." 

So  pondered  Gangazara  in  the  dark  cell  underground,  and 
at  that  moment  thought  of  his  three  friends.  The  tiger-king^ 
serpent-king,  and  rat-king  assembled  at  once  with  their 
annies  at  a  garden  near  the  dungeon,  and  for  a  while  did  not 
know  what  to  do.      They  held  their  council,  and  decided  to 


The  Soothsayer's  Son  79 

make  an  underground  passage  from  the  inside  of  a  ruined 
well  to  the  dungeon.  The  rat  raja  issued  an  order  at  once 
to  that  effect  to  his  army.  They,  with  their  teeth,  bored 
the  ground  a  long  way  to  the  walls  of  the  prison.  After 
i  reaching  it  they  found  that  their  teeth  could  not  work  on 
I  the  hard  stones.  The  bandicoots  were  then  specially 
ordered  for  the  business  ;   they,  with  their  hard  teeth,  made 

»imall  slit  in  the  wall  for  a  rat  to  pass  and  repass  without 
[iculty.  Thus  a  passage  was  effected. 
The  rat  raja  entered  first  to  condole  with  his  protector  on 
his  misfortune,  and  undertook  to  supply  his  protector  with 
provisions.  "Whatever  sweetmeats  or  bread  are  prepared 
in  any  house,  one  and  all  of  you  must  try  to  bring  whatever 
you  can  to  our  benefactor.  Whatever  clothes  you  find 
hanging  in  a  house,  cut  down,  dip  the  pieces  in  water,  and 
bring  the  wet  bits  to  our  benefactor.  He  will  squeeze  them 
and  gather  water  for  drink  !  and  the  bread  and  sweetmeats 
shall  form  his  food."  Having  issued  these  orders,  the  king 
of  the  rats  took  leave  of  Gangazara.  They,  in  obedience 
to  their  king's  order,  continued  to  supply  him  with  provisions 
and  water. 

The  snake-king  said  :  "I  sincerely  condole  with  you  in 
your  calamity  ;  the  tiger-king  also  fully  sympathises  with 
you,  and  wants  me  to  tell  you  so,  as  he  cannot  drag  his 
huge  body  here  as  we  have  done  with  our  small  ones.  The 
king  of  the  rats  has  promised  to  do  his  best  to  provide  you 
with  food.  We  would  now  do  what  we  can  for  your  release. 
From  this  day  we  shall  issue  orders  to  our  armies  to  oppress 
all  the  subjects  of  this  kingdom.  The  deaths  by  snake-bite 
and  tigers  shall  increase  a  hundredfold  from  this  day,  and 
day  by  day  it   shall   continue  to  increase  till  your  release. 


8o  Indian   Fairy  Tales 


Whenever  you  hear  people  near  you,  you  had  better  bawl 
out  so  as  to  be  heard  by  them  :  *  The  wretched  prince 
imprisoned  me  on  the  false  charge  of  having  killed  his 
father,  while  it  was  a  tiger  that  killed  him.  From  that  day 
these  calamities  have  broken  out  in  his  dominions.  If  I 
were  released  I  would  save  all  by  my  powers  of  healing 
poisonous  wounds  and  by  incantations.'  Some  one  may 
report  this  to  the  king,  and  if  he  knows  it,  you  will  obtain 
your  liberty."  Thus  comforting  his  protector  in  trouble,  he 
advised  him  to  pluck  up  courage,  and  took  leave  of  him. 
From  that  day  tigers  and  serpents,  acting  under  the  orders 
of  their  kings,  united  in  killing  as  many  persons  and  cattle 
as  possible.  Every  day  people  were  carried  away  by  tigers 
or  bitten  by  serpents.  Thus  passed  months  and  years. 
Gangazara  sat  in  the  dark  cellar,  without  the  sun's  light 
falling  upon  him,  and  feasted  upon  the  breadcrumbs  and 
sweetmeats  that  the  rats  so  kindly  supplied  him  with. 
These  delicacies  had  completely  changed  his  body  into 
a  red,  stout,  huge,  unwieldy  mass  of  flesh.  Thus  passed  full 
ten  years,  as  prophesied  in  the  horoscope. 

Ten  complete  years  rolled  away  in  close  imprisonment. 
On  the  last  evening  of  the  tenth  year  one  of  the  serpents 
got  into  the  bed-chamber  of  the  princess  and  sucked  her 
life.  She  breathed  her  last.  She  was  the  only  daughter 
of  the  king.  The  king  at  once  sent  for  all  the  snake-bite 
curers.  He  promised  half  his  kingdom  and  his  daughter's 
hand  to  him  who  would  restore  her  to  life.  Now  a  servant  of 
the  king  who  had  several  times  overheard  Gangazara's  cries, 
reported  the  matter  to  him.  The  king  at  once  ordered  the 
cell  to  be  examined.  There  was  the  man  sitting  in  it. 
How  had  he  managed  to  live  so  long  in  the  cell  ?     Some 


I 


The  Soothsayer's   Son  8i 


whispered  that  he  must  be  a  divine  being.  Thus  they 
discussed,  while  they  brought  Gangazara  to  the  king. 

The  king  no  sooner  saw  Gangazara  than  he  fell  on  the 
ground.  He  was  struck  by  the  majesty  and  grandeur  of 
his  person.  His  ten  years'  imprisonment  in  the  deep  cell 
underground  had  given  a  sort  of  lustre  to  his  body.  His 
hair  had  first  to  be  cut  before  his  face  could  be  seen.  The 
king  begged  forgiveness  for  his  former  fault,  and  requested 
him  to  revive  his  daughter. 

^^  Bring  me  within  an  hour  all  the  corpses  of  men  and 
cattle,  dying  and  dead,  that  remain  unburnt  or  unburied 
within  the  range  of  your  dominions  ;  1  shall  revive  them 
all,"  were  the  only  words  that  Gangazara  spoke. 

Cartloads  of  corpses  of  men  and  cattle  began  to  come  in 
every  minute.  Even  graves,  it  is  said,  were  broken  open, 
and  corpses  buried  a  day  or  two  before  were  taken  out  and 
sent  for  their  revival.  As  soon  as  all  were  ready,  Gangazara 
took  a  vessel  full  of  water  and  sprinkled  it  over  them  all, 
thinking  only  of  his  snake-king  and  tiger-king.  All  rose 
up  as  if  from  deep  slumber,  and  went  to  their  respective 
homes.  The  princess,  too,  was  restored  to  life.  The  joy 
of  the  king  knew  no  bounds.  He  cursed  the  day  on  which 
he  imprisoned  him,  blamed  himself  for  having  beheved  the 
word  of  a  goldsmith,  and  offered  him  the  hand  of  his 
daughter  and  the  whole  kingdom,  instead  of  half,  as  he 
promised.  Gangazara  would  not  accept  anything,  but  asked 
the  king  to  assemble  all  his  subjects  in  a  wood  near  the 
town.  ^'  I  shall  there  call  in  all  the  tigers  and  serpents,  and 
give  them  a  general  order." 

When  the  whole  town  was  assembled,  just  at  the  dusk  of 
evening,  Gangazara  sat  dumb   for   a   moment,  and  thought 

F 


82  Indian  Fairy  Tales 

upon  the  Tiger  King  and  the  Serpent  King,  who  came  with 
all  their  armies.  People  began  to  take  to  their  heels  at  the 
sight  of  tigers.  Gangazara  assured  them  of  safety,  and 
stopped  them. 

The  grey  hght  of  the  evening,  the  pumpkin  colour  of 
Gangazara,  the  holy  ashes  scattered  lavishly  over  his  body, 
the  tigers  and  snakes  humbling  themselves  at  his  feet,  gave 
him  the  true  majesty  of  the  god  Gangazara.  For  who  else 
by  a  single  word  could  thus  command  vast  armies  of  tigers 
and  serpents,  said  some  among  the  people.  ^'  Care  not  for 
it ;  it  may  be  by  magic.  That  is  not  a  great  thing.  That 
he  revived  cartloads  of  corpses  shows  him  to  be  surely 
Gangazara,"  said  others. 

''  Why  should  you,  my  children,  thus  trouble  these  poor 
subjects  of  Ujjaini  ?  Reply  to  me,  and  henceforth  desist 
from  your  ravages."  Thus  said  the  Soothsayer's  son,  and 
the  following  reply  came  from  the  king  of  the  tigers  :  *'  Why 
should  this  base  king  imprison  your  honour,  believing  the 
mere  word  of  a  goldsmith  that  your  honour  killed  his  father  ? 
All  the  hunters  told  him  that  his  father  was  carried  away 
by  a  tiger.  I  was  the  messenger  of  death  sent  to  deal  the 
blow  on  his  neck.  I  did  it;  and  gave  the  crown  to  your 
honour.  The  prince  makes  no  inquiry,  and  at  once  im- 
prisons your  honour.  How  can  we  expect  justice  from  such 
a  stupid  king  as  that  ?  Unless  he  adopt  a  better  standard 
of  justice  we  will  go  on  with  our  destruction." 

The  king  heard,  cursed  the  day  on  which  he  believed  in 
the  word  of  a  goldsmith,  beat  his  head,  tore  his  hair,  wept 
and  wailed  for  his  crime,  asked  a  thousand  pardons,  and 
swore  to  rule  in  a  just  way  from  that  day.  The  serpent- 
king  and  tiger-king  also  promised  to  observe  their  oath  as 


I 


The  Soothsayer's  Son  83 


long  as  justice  prevailed,  and  took  their  leave.  The  gold- 
smith fled  for  his  life.  He  was  caught  by  the  soldiers  of  the 
king,  and  was  pardoned  by  the  generous  Gangazara,  whose 
voice  now  reigned  supreme.      All  returned  to  their  homes. 

The  king  again  pressed  Gangazara  to  accept  the  hand  of 
his  daughter.  He  agreed  to  do  so,  not  then,  but  some  time 
afterwards.  He  wished  to  go  and  see  his  elder  brother 
first,  and  then  to  return  and  marry  the  princess.  The  king 
agreed  ;  and  Gangazara  left  the  city  that  very  day  on  his 
way  home. 

It  so  happened  that  unwittingly  he  took  a  wrong  road, 
and  had  to  pass  near  a  sea-coast.  His  elder  brother  was 
also  on  his  way  up  to  Benares  by  that  very  same  route. 
They  met  and  recognised  each  other,  even  at  a  distance. 
They  flew  into  each  other's  arms.  Both  remained  still  for  a 
time  almost  unconscious  with  joy.  The  pleasure  of  Gan- 
gazara was  so  great  that  he  died  of  joy. 

The  elder  brother  was  a  devout  worshipper  of  Ganesa. 
That  was  a  Friday,  a  day  very  sacred  to  that  god.  The 
elder  brother  took  the  corpse  to  the  nearest  Ganesa  temple 
and  called  upon  him.  The  god  came,  and  asked  him  what 
he  wanted.  "  My  poor  brother  is  dead  and  gone  ;  and  this 
is  his  corpse.  Kindly  keep  it  in  your  charge  till  I  finish 
worshipping  you.  If  I  leave  it  anywhere  else  the  devils 
may  snatch  it  away  when  I  am  absent  worshipping  you  ; 
after  finishing  the  rites  I  shall  burn  him."  Thus  said  the 
elder  brother,  and,  giving  the  corpse  to  the  god  Ganesa, 
he  went  to  prepare  himself  for  that  deity's  ceremonials. 
Ganesa  made  over  the  corpse  to  his  Ganas,  asking  them 
to  watch  over  it  carefully.  But  instead  of  that  they  de- 
voured it. 


84  Indian  Fairy  Tales 

The  elder  brother,  after  finishing  the  puja,  demanded  his 
brother's  corpse  of  the  god.  The  god  called  his  Ganas,  who 
came  to  the  front  blinking,  and  fearing  the  anger  of  their 
master.  The  god  was  greatly  enraged.  The  elder  brother 
was  very  angry.  When  the  corpse  was  not  forthcoming 
he  cuttingly  remarked,  '*  Is  this,  after  all,  the  return  for 
my  deep  belief  in  you  ?  You  are  unable  even  to 
return  my  brother's  corpse."  Ganesa  was  much  ashamed 
at  the  remark.  So  he,  by  his  divine  power,  gave 
him  a  living  Gangazara  instead  of  the  dead  corpse. 
Thus  Vas  the  second  son  of  the  Soothsayer  restored 
to  life. 

The  brothers  had  a  long  talk  about  each  other's  adven- 
tures. They  both  went  to  Ujjaini,  where  Gangazara  married 
the  princess,  and  succeeded  to  the  throne  of  that  kmgdom. 
He  reigned  for  a  long  time,  conferring  several  benefits 
upon  his  brother.    And  so  the  horoscope  was  fully  fulfilled. 


Harisarman 


HERE  was  a  certain  Brahman  in  a'certain 
village,  named  Harisarman.  He  was 
poor  and  foolish  and  in  evil  case  for 
want  of  employment,  and  he  had  very 
many  children,  that  he  might  reap  the 
fruit  of  his  misdeeds  in  a  former  life. 
He  wandered  about  begging  with  his  family,  and  at  last  he 
reached  a  certain  city,  and  entered  the  service  of  a  rich 
householder  called  Sthuladatta.  His  sons  became  keepers 
of  Sthuladatta's  cows  and  other  property,  and  his  wife 
a  servant  to  him,  and  he  himself  lived  near  his  house, 
performing  the  duty  of  an  attendant.  One  day  there  was 
a  feast  on  account  of  the  marriage  of  the  daughter  of 
Sthuladatta,  largely  attended  by  many  friends  of  the  bride- 
groom, and  merry-makers.  Harisarman  hoped  that  he 
would  be  able  to  fill  himself  up  to  the  throat  with  ghee  and 
flesh  and  other  dainties,  and  get  the  same  for  his  family, 
in  the  house  of  his  patron.  While  he  was  anxiously 
expecting  to  be  fed,  no  one  thought  of  him. 

Then  he  was  distressed  at  getting  nothing  to  eat,  and  he 
said  to  his  wife  at   night,  ''  It  is  owing  to  my  poverty  and 


86 


Indian  Fairy  Tales 


stupidity  that  I  am  treated  with  such  disrespect  here  ;  so  I 
will  pretend  by  means  of  an  artifice  to  possess  a  knowledge 
of  magic,  so  that  I  may  become  an  object  of  respect  to  this 
Sthuladatta  ;  so,  when  you  get  an  opportunity,  tell  him  that 
I  possess  magical  knowledge."  He  said  this  to  her,  and 
after  turning  the  matter  over  in  his  mind,  while  people  were 


asleep  he  took  away  from  the  house  of  Sthuladatta  a  horse 
on  which  his  master's  son-in-law  rode.  He  placed  it  in 
concealment  at  some  distance,  and  in  the  morning  the 
friends  of  the  bridegroom  could  not  find  the  horse,  though 
they  searched  in  every  direction.  Then,  while  Sthuladatta 
was  distressed  at  the  evil  omen,  and  searching  for  the 
thieves  who  had  carried  off  the  horse,  the  wife  of  Hari 
sarman  came  and  said  to  him,  '*  My  husband  is  a  wise 
man,  skilled  in  astrology  and  magical  sciences ;  he  can 
get  the  horse  back  for  you  ;   why  do  you  not  ask  him  ?  " 


I 


Harisarman  87 


When  Sthuladatta  heard  that,  he  called  Harisarman,  who 
said,  "  Yesterday  I  was  forgotten,  but  to-day,  now  the 
horse  is  stolen,  I  am  called  to  mind,"  and  Sthuladatta  then 
propitiated  the  Brahman  with  these  words — '^  I  forgot  you, 
forgive  me " — and  asked  him  to  tell  him  who  had  taken 
away  their  horse.  Then  Harisarman  drew  all  kinds  of 
pretended  diagrams,  and  said  :  ^'  The  horse  has  been  placed 
by  thieves  on  the  boundary  line  south  from  this  place.  It 
is  concealed  there,  and  before  it  is  carried  off  to  a  distance, 
as  it  will  be  at  close  of  day,  go  quickly  and  bring  it." 
When  they  heard  that,  many  men  ran  and  brought  the 
horse  quickly,  praising  the  discernment  of  Harisarman. 
Then  Harisarman  was  honoured  by  all  men  as  a  sage,  and 
dwelt  there  in  happiness,  honoured  by  Sthuladatta. 

Now,  as  days  went  on,  much  treasure,  both  of  gold 
and  jewels,  had  been  stolen  by  a  thief  from  the  palace 
of  the  king.  As  the  thief  was  not  known,  the  king 
quickly  summoned  Harisarman  on  account  of  his  reputation 
for  knowledge  of  magic.  And  he,  when  summoned,  tried 
to  gain  time,  and  said,  ''  I  will  tell  you  to-morrow," 
and  then  he  was  placed  in  a  chamber  by  the  king,  and 
carefully  guarded.  And  he  was  sad  because  he  had  pre- 
tended to  have  knowledge.  Now  in  that  palace  there  was 
a  maid  named  Jihva  (which  means  Tongue),  who,  with  the 
assistance  of  her  brother,  had  stolen  that  treasure  from 
the  interior  of  the  palace.  She,  being  alarmed  at  Hari- 
sarman's  knowledge,  went  at  night  and  applied  her  ear  to 
the  door  of  that  chamber  in  order  to  find  out  what  he  was 
about.  And  Harisarman,  who  was  alone  inside,  was  at 
that  very  moment  blaming  his  own  tongue,  that  had  made 
a  vain  assumption   of  knowledge.      He  said  :   *'  O  Tongue, 


88  Indian  Fairy  Tales 

what  is  this  that  you  have  done  through  your  greediness  ? 
Wicked  one,  you  will  soon  receive  punishment  in  full." 
When  Jihva  heard  this,  she  thought,  in  her  terror,  that  she 
had  been  discovered  by  this  wise  man,  and  she  managed 
to  get  in  where  he  was,  and  falling  at  his  feet,  she  said  to 
the  supposed  w^izard  :  ''  Brahman,  here  I  am,  that  Jihva 
whom  you  have  discovered  to  be  the  thief  of  the  treasure, 
and  after  I  took  it  I  buried  it  in  the  earth  in  a  garden 
behind  the  palace,  under  a  pomegranate  tree.  So  spare 
me,  and  receive  the  small  quantity  of  gold  which  is  in  my 
possession." 

When  Harisarman  heard  that,  he  said  to  her  proudly 
^^  Depart,  I  know  all  this;  I  know  the  past,  present  and 
future ;  but  I  will  not  denounce  you,  being  a  miserable 
creature  that  has  implored  my  protection.  But  whatever 
gold  is  in  your  possession  you  must  give  back  to  me." 
When  he  said  this  to  the  maid,  she  consented,  and  departed 
quickly.  But  Harisarman  reflected  in  his  astonishment  : 
"  Fate  brings  about,  as  if  in  sport,  things  impossible,  for 
when  calamity  was  so  near,  who  would  have  thought 
chance  would  have  brought  us  success  ?  While  I  was 
blaming  my  jihva,  the  thief  Jihva  suddenly  flung  herself 
at  my  feet.  Secret  crimes  manifest  themselves  by  means 
of  fear."  Thus  thinking,  he  passed  the  night  happily  in 
the  chamber.  And  in  the  morning  he  brought  the  king, 
by  some  skilful  parade  of  pretended  knowledge  into  the 
garden,  and  led  him  up  to  the  treasure,  which  was  buried 
under  the  pomegranate  tree,  and  said  that  the  thief  had 
escaped  with  a  part  of  it.  Then  the  king  was  pleased^ 
and  gave  him  the  revenue  of  many  villages. 

But  the  minister,  named   Devajnanin,  whispered  in  the 


I     mi 


Harisarman  89 

mg's  ear :  ^'  How  can  a  man  possess  such  knowledge  un- 
attainable by  men,  without  having  studied  the  books  of 
magic  ;    you  may  be   certain    that    this    is  a   specimen   of 

e  way  he  makes  a  dishonest  Hvelihood,  by  having  a  secret 
inteUigence  with  thieves.  It  will  be  much  better  to  test  him 
by  some  new  artifice."  Then  the  king  of  his  own  accord 
brought  a  covered  pitcher  into  which  he  had  thrown  a  frog, 

d  said  to  Harisarman,  '^  Brahman,  if  you  can  guess  what 
there  is  in  this  pitcher,  I  will  do  you  great  honour  to-day." 
When  the  Brahman  Harisarman  heard  that,  he  thought  that 
his  last  hour  had  come,  and  he  called  to  mind  the  pet  name 
of  ^^  Froggie  "  which  his  father  had  given  him  in  his  child- 
hood in  sport,  and,  impelled  by  luck,  he  called  to  himself 
by  his  pet  name,  lamenting  his  hard  fate,  and  suddenly 
called  out :  ''  This  is  a  fine  pitcher  for  you,  Froggie  ;  it 
will  soon  become  the  swift  destroyer  of  your  helpless 
self."  The  people  there,  when  they  heard  him  say  that, 
raised  a  shout  of  applause,  because  his  speech  chimed  in 
so  well  with  the  object  presented  to  him,  and  murmured, 
"  Ah !  a  great  sage,  he  knows  even  about  the  frog  ! " 
Then  the  king,  thinking  that  this  was  all  due  to  knowledge 
of  divination,  was  highly  delighted,  and  gave  Harisarman 
the  revenue  of  more  villages,  with  gold,  an  umbrella,  and 
state  carriages  of  all  kinds.  So  Harisarman  prospered  in 
the  world. 


The  Charmed  Rin 


g 


MERCHANT  started  his  son  in  life  with 
three  hundred  rupees,  and  bade  him  go  to 
another  country  and  try  his  luck  in  trade. 
The  son  took  the  money  and  departed. 
He  had  not  gone  far  before  he  came  across 
some  herdsmen  quarrelling  over  a  dog, 
that  some  of  them  wished  to  kill.  "  Please  do  not  kill  the 
dog,"  pleaded  the  young  and  tender-hearted  fellow ;  ''  I  will 
give  you  one  hundred  rupees  for  it."  Then  and  there,  of 
course,  the  bargain  was  concluded,  and  the  foolish  fellow 
took  the  dog,  and  continued  his  journey.  He  next  met 
with  some  people  fighting  about  a  cat.  Some  of  them 
wanted  to  kill  it,  but  others  not.  "  Oh  !  please  do  not  kill 
it,"  said  he ;  '^  I  will  give  you  one  hundred  rupees  for  it." 
Of  course  they  at  once  gave  him  the  cat  and  took  the  money. 
He  went  on  till  he  reached  a  village,  where  some  folk  were 
quarrelling  over  a  snake  that  had  just  been  caught.  Some 
of  them  wished  to  kill  it,  but  others  did  not.  ''Please  do 
not  kill  the  snake,"  said  he  ;  'M  will  give  you  one  hundred 
rupees."  Of  course  the  people  agreed,  and  were  highly 
delighted. 


I 


The  Charmed  Ring  91 


What  a  fool  the  fellow  was  !     What  would  he  do  now 

that  all  his  money  was  gone  ?      What  could   he  do  except 

■■turn  to  his  father  ?     Accordingly  he  went  home. 

BB ''You  fool!      You   scamp!"  exclaimed   his  father  when 

TO  had  heard  how  his  son  had   wasted  all  the  money  that 

had  been  given  to  him.      "  Go  and  live  in  the  stables  and 

repent  of  your  folly.     You    shall   never   again    enter    my 

house." 

So  the  young  man  went  and  lived  in  the  stables.  His 
bed  was  the  grass  spread  for  the  cattle,  and  his  companions 
were'  the  dog,  the  cat,  and  the  snake,  which  he  had  pur- 
chased so  dearly.  These  creatures  got  very  fond  of  him, 
and  would  follow  him  about  during  the  day,  and  sleep  by 
him  at  night ;  the  cat  used  to  sleep  at  his  feet,  the  dog  at 
his  head,  and  the  snake  over  his  body,  with  its  head  hang- 
ing on  one  side  and  its  tail  on  the  other. 

One  day  the  snake  in  course  of  conversation  said  to  its 
master,  "  I  am  the  son  of  Raja  Indrasha.  One  day,  when  I 
had  come  out  of  the  ground  to  drink  the  air,  some  people 
seized  me,  and  would  have  slain  me  had  you  not  most 
opportunely  arrived  to  my  rescue.  I  do  not  know  how  I 
shall  ever  be  able  to  repay  you  for  your  great  kindness  to 
me.  Would  that  you  knew  my  father !  How  glad  he 
would  be  to  see  his  son  s  preserver !  " 

"  Where  does  he  live  ?  I  should  like  to  see  him,  if 
possible,"  said  the  young  man. 

"  Well  said  ! "  continued  the  snake.  ''  Do  you  see 
yonder  mountain  ?  At  the  bottom  of  that  mountain  there 
is  a  sacred  spring.  If  you  will  come  with  me  and  dive  into 
that  spring,  we  shall  both  reach  my  father's  country.  Oh  ! 
how  glad  he  will  be  to  see  you  !      He  will  wish  to  reward 


92  Indian  Fairy  Tales 

you,  too.  But  how  can  he  do  that  ?  However,  you  may 
be  pleased  to  accept  something  at  his  hand.  If  he  asks 
you  what  you  would  like,  you  would,  perhaps,  do  well  to 
reply,  '  The  ring  on  your  right  hand,  and  the  famous  pot  and 
spoon  which  you  possess.'  With  these  in  your  possession, 
you  would  never  need  anything,  for  the  ring  is  such  that  a 
man  has  only  to  speak  to  it,  and  immediately  a  beautiful 
furnished  mansion  will  be  provided  for  him,  while  the  pot 
and  the  spoon  will  supply  him  with  all  manner  of  the 
rarest  and  most  delicious  foods." 

Attended  by  his  three  companions  the  man  walked  to 
the  well  and  prepared  to  jump  in,  according  to  the  snake's 
directions.  ^'  O  master  !  "  exclaimed  the  cat  and  dog,  when 
they  saw  what  he  was  going  to  do.  ^'What  shall  we  do? 
Where  shall  we  go  ?  " 

^'  Wait  for  me  here,"  he  replied.  ^'  I  am  not  going  far. 
I  shall  not  be  long  away."  On  saying  this,  he  dived  into 
the  water  and  was  lost  to  sight. 

^'  Now  what  shall  we  do  ?  "  said  the  dog  to  the  cat. 

^'  We  must  remain  here,"  replied  the  cat,  ''  as  our  master 
ordered.  Do  not  be  anxious  about  food.  I  will  go  to  the 
people's  houses  and  get  plenty  of  food  for  both  of  us." 
And  so  the  cat  did,  and  they  both  lived  very  comfortably 
till  their  master  came  again  and  joined  them. 

The  young  man  and  the  snake  reached  their  destination 
in  safety;  and  information  of  their  arrival  was  sent  to  the 
Raja.  His  highness  commanded  his  son  and  the  stranger 
to  appear  before  him.  But  the  snake  refused,  saying  that 
it  could  not  go  to  its  father  till  it  was  released  from  this 
stranger,  who  had  saved  it  from  a  most  terrible  death,  and 
whose  slave  it  therefore  was.     Then  the  Raja  went  and  em- 


The  Charmed  Ring  93 

yraced  his  son,  and  saluting  the  stranger  welcomed  him  to 
his  dominions.  The  young  man  stayed  there  a  few  days, 
_during  which  he  received  the   Raja's  right-hand  ring,  and 

le  pot  and  spoon,  in  recognition  of  His  Highness's  grati- 
tude to  him  for  having  delivered  his  son.  He  then  re- 
turned. On  reaching  the  top  of  the  spring  he  found  his 
friends,  the  dog  and   the   cat,  waiting  for  him.      They  told 

le  another  all  they  had  experienced  since  they  had  last 
seen  each  other,  and  were  all  very  glad.  Afterwards  they 
walked  together  to  the  river  side,  where  it  was  decided  to 
try  the  powers  of  the  charmed  ring  and  pot  and  spoon. 

The  merchant's  son  spoke  to  the  ring,  and  immediately  a 
beautiful  house  and  a  lovely  princess  with  golden  hair 
appeared.  He  spoke  to  the  pot  and  spoon,  also,  and  the 
most  delicious  dishes  of  food  were  provided  for  them.  So 
he  married  the  princess,  and  they  lived  very  happily  for 
several  years,  until  one  morning  the  princess,  while  ar- 
ranging her  toilet,  put  the  loose  hairs  into  a  hollow  bit 
of  reed  and  threw  them  into  the  river  that  flowed  along 
under  the  window.  The  reed  floated  on  the  water  for 
many  miles,  and  was  at  last  picked  up  by  the  prince  of 
that  country,  who  curiously  opened  it  and  saw  the  golden 
hair.  On  finding  it  the  prince  rushed  off  to  the  palace, 
locked  himself  up  in  his  room,  and  would  not  leave  it.  He 
had  fallen  desperately  in  love  with  the  woman  whose  hair 
he  had  picked  up,  and  refused  to  eat,  or  drink,  or  sleep,  or 
move,  till  she  was  brought  to  him.  The  king,  his  father, 
was  in  great  distress  about  the  matter,  and  did  not  know 
what  to  do.  He  feared  lest  his  son  should  die  and  leave 
him  without  an  heir.  At  last  he  determined  to  seek  the 
counsel  of  his  aunt,  who  was  an  ogress.      The  old  woman 


94  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

consented  to  help  him,  and  bade  him  not  to  be  anxious,  as 
she  felt  certain  that  she  would  succeed  in  getting  the 
beautiful  woman  for  his  son's  wife. 

She  assumed  the  shape  of  a  bee  and  went  along  buzzing, 
and  buzzing,  and  buzzing.  Her  keen  sense  of  smell 
soon  brought  her  to  the  beautiful  princess,  to  whom  she 
appeared  as  an  old  hag,  holding  in  one  hand  a  stick  by  way 
of  support.  She  introduced  herself  to  the  beautiful  princess 
and  said,  "  I  am  your  aunt,  whom  you  have  never  seen 
before,  because  I  left  the  country' just  after  your  birth." 
She  also  embraced  and  kissed  the  princess  by  way  of  adding 
force  to  her  words.  The  beautiful  princess  was  thoroughly 
deceived.  She  returned  the  ogress's  embrace,  and  invited 
her  to  come  and  stay  in  the  house  as  long  as  she  could, 
and  treated  her  with  such  honour  and  attention,  that  the 
ogress  thought  to  herself,  *^  I  shall  soon  accomplish  my 
errand."  When  she  had  been  in  the  house  three  days,  she 
began  to  talk  of  the  charmed  ring,  and  advised  her  to 
keep  it  instead  of  her  husband,  because  the  latter  was 
constantly  out  shooting  and  on  other  such-like  expeditions, 
and  might  lose  it.  Accordingly  the  beautiful  princess  asked 
her  husband  for  the  ring,  and  he  readily  gave  it  to  her. 

The  ogress  waited  another  day  before  she  asked  to  see  the 
precious  thing.  Doubting  nothing,  the  beautiful  princess 
complied,  when  the  ogress  seized  the  ring,  and  reassuming 
the  form  of  a  bee  flew  away  with  it  to  the  palace,  where  the 
prince  was  lying  nearly  on  the  point  of  death  *^  Rise  up. 
Be  glad.  Mourn  no  more,"  she  said  to  him.  *'  The  woman 
for  whom  you  yearn  will  appear  at  your  summons.  See,  here 
is  the  charm,  whereby  you  may  bring  her  before  you."  The 
prince  was  almost  mad  with  joy  when  he  heard  these  words, 


The  Charmed  Ring  95 

and  was  so  desirous  of  seeing  the  beautiful  princess,  that  he 
immediately  spoke  to  the  ring,  and  the  house  with  its  fair 
occupant  descended  in  the  midst  of  the  palace  garden.  He 
at  once  entered  the  building,  and  telling  the  beautiful  princess 
of  his  intense  love,  entreated  her  to  be  his  wife.  Seeing  no 
escape  from  the  difficulty,  she  consented  on  the  condition 
that  he  would  wait  one  month  for  her. 

Meanwhile  the  merchant's  son  had  returned  from  hunting 
and  was  terribly  distressed  not  to  find  his  house  and  wife. 
There  was  the  place  only,  just  as  he  knew  it  before  he  had 
tried*  the  charmed  ring  which  Raja  Indrasha  had  given  him. 
He  sat  down  and  determined  to  put  an  end  to  himself. 
Presently  the  cat  and  dog  came  up.  They  had  gone  away 
and  hidden  themselves,  when  they  saw  the  house  and  every- 
thing disappear.  *'  O  master  !  "  they  said,  '*  stay  your  hand. 
Your  trial  is  great,  but  it  can  be  remedied.  Give  us  one 
month,  and  we  will  go  and  try  to  recover  your  wife  and 
house." 

*'  Go,"  said  he,  ^*  and  may  the  great  God  aid  your  efforts. 
Bring  back  my  wife,  and  I  shall  live." 

So  the  cat  and  dog  started  off  at  a  run,  and  did  not  stop 
till  they  reached  the  place  whither  their  mistress  and  the 
house  had  been  taken.  ^^We  may  have  some  difficulty 
here,"  said  the  cat.  '^  Look,  the  king  has  taken  our 
master's  wife  and  house  for  himself.  You  stay  here.  I 
will  go  to  the  house  and  try  to  see  her."  So  the  dog  sat 
down,  and  the  cat  climbed  up  to  the  window  of  the 
room,  wherein  the  beautiful  princess  was  sitting,  and 
entered.  The  princess  recognised  the  cat,  and  informed 
it  of  all  that  had  happened  to  her  since  she  had  left 
them. 


96  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

*'  But  is  there  no  way  of  escape  from  the  hands  of  these 
people  ?  "  she  asked. 

^'  Yes,"  replied  the  cat,  "  if  3'ou  can  tell  me  where  the 
charmed  ring  is." 

'^  The  ring  is  in  the  stomach  of  the  ogress,"  she  said. 

"  All  right,"  said  the  cat,  "  I  will  recover  it.  If  we  once 
get  it,  everything  is  ours."  Then  the  cat  descended  the 
wall  of  the  house,  and  went  and  laid  down  by  a  rat's  hole 
and  pretended  she  was  dead.  Now  at  that  time  a  great 
wedding  chanced  to  be  going  on  among  the  rat  community 
of  that  place,  and  all  the  rats  of  the  neighbourhood  were 
assembled  in  that  one  particular  mine  by  which  the  cat  had 
lain  down.  The  eldest  son  of  the  king  of  the  rats  was 
about  to  be  married.  The  cat  got  to  know  of  this,  and  at 
once  conceived  the  idea  of  seizing  the  bridegroom  and 
making  him  render  the  necessary  help.  Consequently, 
when  the  procession  poured  forth  from  the  hole  squealing 
and  jumping  in  honour  of  the  occasion,  it  immediately 
spotted  the  bridegroom  and  pounced  down  on  him.  ''  Oh  ! 
let  me  go,  let  me  go,"  cried  the  terrified  rat.  '*  Oh  !  let 
him  go,"  squealed  all  the  company.  "  It  is  his  wedding 
day." 

"  No,  no,"  replied  the  cat.  '*  Not  unless  you  do  some- 
thing for  me.  Listen.  The  ogress,  who  lives  in  that 
house  with  the  prince  and  his  wife,  has  swallowed  a  ring, 
which  I  very  much  want.  If  you  will  procure  it  for  me,  I 
will  allow  the  rat  to  depart  unharmed.  If  you  do  not,  then 
your  prince  dies  under  my  feet." 

*'  Very  well,  we  agree,"  said  they  all.  "  Nay,  if  we  do 
not  get  the  ring  for  you,  devour  us  all." 

This  was  rather  a  bold  offer.      However,   they  accom- 


1 


THE    CHARMED    RING 


I 


The  Charmed  Ring  97 


plished  the  thing.  At  midnight,  when  the  ogress  was 
sound  asleep,  one  of  the  rats  went  to  her  bedside,  climbed 
up  on  her  face,  and  inserted  its  tail  into  her  throat  ; 
whereupon  the  ogress  coughed  violently,  and  the  ring 
came  out  and  rolled  on  to  the  floor.  The  rat  immediatel}^ 
seized  the  precious  thing  and  ran  off  with  it  to  its  king, 
who  was  very  glad,  and  went  at  once  to  the  cat  and 
released  its  son. 

As  soon  as  the  cat  received  the  ring,  she  started  back 
with  the  dog  to  go  and  tell  their  master  the  good  tidings. 
All  seemed  safe  now.  They  had  only  to  give  the  ring  to 
him,  and  he  would  speak  to  it,  and  the  house  and  beautiful 
princess  would  again  be  with  them,  and  everything  would 
go  on  as  happily  as  before.  '*  How  glad  master  will  be  ! " 
they  thought,  and  ran  as  fast  as  their  legs  could  carry 
them.  Now,  on  the  way  they  had  to  cross  a  stream.  The 
dog  swam,  and  the  cat  sat  on  its  back.  Now  the  dog 
was  jealous  of  the  cat,  so  he  asked  for  the  ring,  and 
threatened  to  throw  the  cat  into  the  water  if  it  did  not 
give  it  up  ;  whereupon  the  cat  gave  up  the  ring.  Sorry 
moment,  for  the  dog  at  once  dropped  it,  and  a  fish 
swallowed  it. 

''  Oh  !  what  shall  I  do  ?  what  shall  I  do  ?  "  said  the  dog. 

^'  What  is  done  is   done,"  replied   the  cat.      *'  We  must 

try  to  recover  it,  and  if  we  do  not  succeed  we  had   better 

drown  ourselves  in  this  stream.      I  have  a  plan.      You   go 

and  kill  a  small  lamb,  and  bring  it  here  to  me." 

"  All  right,"  said  the  dog,  and  at  once  ran  off.  He  soon 
came  back  with  a  dead  lamb,  and  gave  it  to  the  cat.  The 
cat  got  inside  the  lamb  and  lay  down,  telling  the  dog  to 
go  away  a  little  distance  and  keep  quiet.      Not  long  after 

G 


98  Indian  Fairy  Tales 


this  a  nadhar,  a  bird  whose  look  can  break  the  bones  of 
a  fish,  came  and  hovered  over  the  lamb,  and  eventually 
pounced  down  on  it  to  carry  it  away.  On  this  the 
cat  came  out  and  jumped  on  to  the  bird,  and  threatened 
to  kill  it  if  it  did  not  recover  the  lost  ring.  This  was 
most  readily  promised  by  the  nadhar,  who  immediately 
flew  off  to  the  king  of  the  fishes,  and  ordered  it  to  make 
inquiries  and  to  restore  the  ring.  The  king  of  the  fishes 
did  so,  and  the  ring  was  found  and  carried  back  to 
the  cat. 

^'  Come  along  now ;  I  have  got  the  ring,"  said  the  cat  to 
the  dog. 

"No,  I  will  not,"  said  the  dog,  "  unless  you  let  me  have 
the  ring.  I  can  carry  it  as  well  as  you.  Let  me  have  it 
or  I  will  kill  you."  So  the  cat  was  obliged  to  give  up  the 
ring.  The  careless  dog  very  soon  dropped  it  again.  This 
time  it  was  picked  up  and  carried  off  by  a  kite. 

'*  See,  see,  there  it  goes — away  to  that  big  tree,"  the  cat 
exclaimed.  z 

"  Oh  !  oh  !  what  have  I  done  ?  "  cried  the  dog. 

"You  foolish  thing,  I  knew  it  would  be  so,"  said  the 
cat.  "  But  stop  your  barking,  or  you  will  frighten  away 
the  bird  to  some  place  where  we  shall  not  be  able  to  trace 
it." 

The  cat  waited  till  it  was  quite  dark,  and  then  climbed 
the  tree,  killed  the  kite,  and  recovered  the  ring.  "  Come 
along,"  it  said  to  the  dog  when  it  reached  the  ground. 
"  We  must  make  haste  now.  We  have  been  delayed. 
Our  master  will  die  from  grief  and  suspense.      Come  on." 

The  dog,  now  thoroughly  ashamed  of  itself,  begged  the 
cat's  pardon  for  all  the  trouble  it  had  given.      It  was  afraid 


I 


The  Charmed  Ring  99 


to  ask  for  the  ring  the  third  time,  so  they  both  reached 
their  sorrowing  master  in  safety  and  gave  him  the  precious 
charm.  In  a  moment  his  sorrow  was  turned  into  joy. 
He  spoke  to  the  ring,  and  his  beautiful  wife  and  house 
reappeared,  and  he  and  everybody  were  as  happy  as  ever 
ley  could  be. 


The  Talkative  Tortoise 


HE  future  Buddha  was  once  born  in  a 
minister's  family,  when  Brahma-datta  was 
reigning  in  Benares  ;  and  when  he  grew 
up,  he  became  the  king's  adviser  in 
things  temporal  and  spiritual. 

Now  this  king  was  very  talkative  ; 
while  he  was  speaking,  others  had  no  opportunity  for  a  word. 
And  the  future  Buddha,  wanting  to  cure  this  talkativeness 
of  his,  was  constantly  seeking  for  some  means  of  doing  so. 
At  that  time  there  was  living,  in  a  pond  in  the  Himalaya 
mountains,  a  tortoise.  Two  young  hamsas,  or  wild  ducks, 
who  came  to  feed  there,  made  friends  with  him.  And  one 
day,  when  they  had  become  very  intimate  with  him,  they 
said  to  the  tortoise  : 

'^  Friend  tortoise  !  the  place  where  we  live,  at  the  Golden 
Cave   on    Mount  Beautiful   in   the   Himalaya  country,   is  a 
delightful  spot.      Will  you  come  there  with  us  ?  " 
''  But  how  can  I  get  there  ?  " 

"  We  can  take  you,  if  you  can  only  hold  your  tongue,  and 
will  say  nothing  to  anybody." 

*'  Oh  !  that  I  can  do.      Take  me  with  you." 


I 


The   Talkative  Tortoise         loi 


*^  That's  right/'  said  they.  And  making  the  tortoise  bite 
hold  of  a  stick,  they  themselves  took  the  two  ends  in  their 
teeth,  and  flew  up  into  the  air. 

Seeing  him  thus  carried  by  the  hamsas,  some  villagers 
called  out,  *'  Two  wild  ducks  are  carrying  a  tortoise  along 
on  a  stick  !  "  Whereupon  the  tortoise  wanted  to  say,  ''  If 
my  friends  choose  to  carry  me,  what  is  that  to  you,  you 
wretched  slaves  !  "  So  just  as  the  swift  flight  of  the  wild 
ducks  had  brought  him  over  the  king's  palace  in  the  city 


of  Benares,  he  let  go  of  the  stick  he  was  biting,  and  falling 
in  the  open  courtyard,  split  in  two  !  And  there  arose  a 
universal  cry,  ''  A  tortoise  has  fallen  in  the  open  courtyard, 
and  has  split  in  two  !  " 

The  king,  taking  the  future  Buddha,  went  to  the  place, 
surrounded  by  his  courtiers  ;  and  looking  at  the  tortoise,  he 
asked  the  Bodisat,  '*  Teacher!  how  comes  he  to  be  fallen 
here  ?  " 

The  future  Buddha  thought  to  himself,  ^*  Long  expecting, 
wishing  to  admonish  the  king,  have  I  sought  for  some 
means  of  doing  so.  This  tortoise  must  have  made  friends 
with  the  wild  ducks  ;  and  they  must  have  made  him  bite 
hold  of  the  stick,  and  have  flown  up  into  the  air  to  take  him 
to  the  hills.      But  he,  being  unable  to  hold  his  tongue  when 


I02  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

he  hears  any  one  else  talk,  must  have  wanted  to  say  some- 
thing, and  let  go  the  stick  ;  and  so  must  have  fallen  down 
from  the  sky,  and  thus  lost  his  Hfe."  And  saying,  **  Truly, 
O  king !  those  who  are  called  chatter-boxes — people  whose 
words  have  no  end — come  to  grief  like  this,"  he  uttered 
these  Verses  : 

"  Verily  the  tortoise  killed  himself 
Whilst  uttering  his  voice ; 
Though  he  was  holding  tight  the  stick. 
By  a  word  himself  he  slew. 

"  Behold  him  then,  O  excellent  by  strength  ! 
And  speak  wise  words,  not  out  of  season. 
You  see  how,  by  his  talking  overmuch. 
The  tortoise  fell  into  this  wretched  plight !  " 

The  king  saw  that  he  was  himself  referred  to,  and  said, 
^'  O  Teacher  !  are  you  speaking  of  us  ?  " 

And  the  Bodisat  spake  openly,  and  said,  ^'  O  great  king  ! 
be  it  thou,  or  be  it  any  other,  whoever  talks  beyond  measure 
meets  with  some  mishap  like  this." 

And  the  king  henceforth  refrained  himself,  and  became  a 
man  of  few  words. 


I 


A  Lac  of  Rupees  for  a  Bit 
of  Advice 


POOR  blind  Brahman  and  his  wife  were 
dependent  on  their  son  for  their  subsist- 
ence. Every  day  the  young  fellow  used  to 
go  out  and  get  what  he  could  by  begging. 
This  continued  for  some  time,  till  at  last 
he  became  quite  tired  of  such  a  wretched 
life,  and  determined  to  go  and  try  his  luck  in  another 
country.  He  informed  his  wife  of  his  intention,  and  ordered 
her  to  manage  somehow  or  other  for  the  old  people  during 
the  few  months  that  he  would  be  absent.  He  begged  her 
to  be  industrious,  lest  his  parents  should  be  angry  and 
curse  him. 

One   morning  he  started   with   some  food  in  a   bundle, 


I04  Indian  Fairy  Tales 

and  walked  on  day  after  day,  till  he  reached  the  chief  city 
of  the  neighbouring  country.  Here  he  went  and  sat  down 
by  a  merchant's  shop  and  asked  alms.  The  merchant  in- 
quired whence  he  had  come,  why  he  had  come,  and  what 
was  his  caste  ;  to  which  he  repHed  that  he  was  a  Brahman, 
and  was  wandering  hither  and  thither  begging  a  livelihood 
for  himself  and  wife  and  parents.  Moved  with  pity  for  the 
man,  the  merchant  advised  him  to  visit  the  kind  and  gene- 
rous king  of  that  country,  and  oifered  to  accompany  him  to 
the  court.  Now  at  that  time  it  happened  that  the  king  was 
seeking  for  a  Brahman  to  look  after  a  golden  temple  which 
he  had  just  had  built.  His  Majesty  was  very  glad,  there- 
fore, when  he  saw  the  Brahman  and  heard  that  he  was  good 
and  honest.  He  at  once  deputed  him  to  the  charge  of  this 
temple,  and  ordered  fifty  kharwars  of  rice  and  one  hundred 
rupees  to  be  paid  to  him  every  year  as  wages. 

Two  months  after  this,  the  Brahman's  wife,  not  having 
heard  any  news  of  her  husband,  left  the  house  and  went  in 
quest  of  him.  By  a  happy  fate  she  arrived  at  the  very 
place  that  he  had  reached,  where  she  heard  that  every 
morning  at  the  golden  temple  a  golden  rupee  was  given  in 
the  king's  name  to  any  beggar  who  chose  to  go  for  it. 
Accordingly,  on  the  following  morning  she  went  to  the 
place  and  met  her  husband. 

"  Why  have  you  come  here  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Why  have 
you  left  my  parents  ?  Care  you  not  whether  they  curse 
me  and  I  die  ?  Go  back  immediately,  and  await  my 
return." 

'*  No,  no,"  said  the  woman.  "  I  cannot  go  back  to  starve 
and  see  your  old  father  and  mother  die.  There  is  not  a 
grain  of  rice  left  in  the  house." 


Lac  of  Rupees  for  Bit  of  Advice    105 

"O  Bhagawant ! "  exclaimed  the  Brahman.  "Here, 
take  this,"  he  continued,  scribbling  a  few  lines  on  some 
paper,  and  then  handing  it  to  her,  ''and  give  it  to  the  king. 
You  will  see  that  he  will  give  you  a  lac  of  rupees  for  it." 
Thus  saying  he  dismissed  her,  and  the  woman  left. 

On  this  scrap  of  paper  were  written  three  pieces  of  advice — 
First,  If  a  person  is  travelling  and  reaches  any  strange 
place  at  night,  let  him  be  careful  where  he  puts  up,  and  not 
close  his  eyes  in  sleep,  lest  he  close  them  in  death. 
Secondly,  If  a  man  has  a  married  sister,  and  visits  her 
in  great  pomp,  she  will  receive  him  for  the  sake  of  what, 
she  can  obtain  from  him ;  but  if  he  comes  to  her  in 
poverty,  she  will  frown  on  him  and  disown  him.  Thirdly, 
If  a  man  has  to  do  any  work,  he  must  do  it  himself,  and  do 
it  with  might  and  without  fear. 

On  reaching  her  home  the  Brahmani  told  her  parents  of 
her  meeting  with  her  husband,  and  what  a  valuable  piece 
of  paper  he  had  given  her ;  but  not  liking  to  go  before  the 
king  herself,  she  sent  one  of  her  relations.  The  king  read 
the  paper,  and  ordering  the  man  to  be  flogged,  dismissed 
him.  The  next  morning  the  Brahmani  took  the  paper,  and 
while  she  was  going  along  the  road  to  the  darbar  reading  it, 
the  king's  son  met  her,  and  asked  what  she  was  reading, 
whereupon  she  replied  that  she  held  in  her  hands  a  paper 
containing  certain  bits  of  advice,  for  which  she  wanted  a 
lac  of  rupees.  The  prince  asked  her  to  show  it  to  him, 
and  when  he  had  read  it  gave  her  a  parwana  for  the 
amount,  and  rode  on.  The  poor  Brahmani  was  very 
thankful.  That  day  she  laid  in  a  great  store  of  pro- 
visions, sufficient  to  last  them. all  for  a  long  time. 

In  the  evening  the  prince  related  U^Jii^  .fvith^  the  meet- 

fy^     Of  rHi     JL  \ 


io6  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

ing  with  the  woman,  and  the  purchase  of  the  piece  of  paper. 
He  thought  his  father  would  applaud  the  act.  But  it  was 
not  so.  The  king  was  more  angry  than  before,  and 
banished  his  son  from  the  country. 

So  the  prince  bade  adieu  to  his  mother  and  relations 
and  friends,  and  rode  off  on  his  horse,  whither  he  did 
not  know.  At  nightfall  he  arrived  at  some  place,  where  a 
man  met  him,  and  invited  him  to  lodge  at  his  house.  The 
prince  accepted  the  invitation,  and  was  treated  like  a 
prince.  Matting  was  spread  for  him  to  squat  on,  and  the 
best  provisions  set  before  him. 

"Ah  !  "  thought  he,  as  he  lay  down  to  rest,  ''here  is  a 
case  for  the  first  piece  of  advice  that  the  Brahmani  gave 
me.      I  will  not  sleep  to-night." 

It  was  well  that  he  thus  resolved,  for  in  the  middle  of 
the  night  the  man  rose  up,  and  taking  a  sword  in  his  hand, 
rushed  to  the  prince  with  the  intention  of  killing  him.  But 
he  rose  up  and  spoke. 

"  Do  not  slay  me,"  he  said.  "  What  profit  would  you 
get  from  my  death  ?  If  you  killed  me  you  would  be  sorry 
afterwards,  like  that  man  who  killed  his  dog." 

"  What  man  ?      What  dog  ?  "  he  asked. 

''  I  will  tell  you,"  said  the  prince,  "  if  you  will  give  me 
that  sword." 

So  he  gave  him  the  sword,  and  the  prince  began  his 
story  : 

*'  Once  upon  a  time  there  lived  a  v/ealthy  merchant  who 
had  a  pet  dog.  He  was  suddenly  reduced  to  poverty,  and 
had  to  part  with  his  dog.  He  got  a  loan  of  five  thousand 
rupees  from  a  brother  merchant,  leaving  the  dog  as  a  pledge, 
and  with  the  money  began  business  again.      Not  long  after 


Lac  of  Rupees  for  Bit  of  Advice    107 

this  the  other  merchant's  shop  was  broken  into  by  thieves 
and  completely  sacked.  There  was  hardly  ten  rupees' 
worth  left  in  the  place.  The  faithful  dog,  however,  knew 
what  was  going  on,  and  went  and  followed  the  thieves,  and 
saw  where  they  deposited  the  things,  and  then  returned. 

*' In  the  morning  there  was  great  weeping  and  lamen- 
tation in  the  merchant's  house  when  it  was  known  what 
had  happened.  The  merchant  himself  nearly  went  mad. 
Meanwhile  the  dog  kept  on  running  to  the  door,  and  pull- 
ing at  his  master's  shirt  and  paijamas,  as  though  wishing 
him  to  go  outside.  At  last  a  friend  suggested  that,  perhaps, 
the  dog  knew  something  of  the  whereabouts  of  the  things, 
and  advised  the  merchant  to  follow  its  leadings.  The 
merchant  consented,  and  went  after  the  dog  right  up  to  the 
very  place  where  the  thieves  had  hidden  the  goods.  Here 
the  animal  scraped  and  barked,  and  showed  in  various  ways 
that  the  things  were  underneath.  So  the  merchant  and  his 
friends  dug  about  the  place,  and  soon  came  upon  all  the 
stolen  property.  Nothing  was  missing.  There  was  every- 
thing just  as  the  thieves  had  taken  them. 

"The  merchant  was  very  glad.  On  returning  to  his 
house,  he  at  once  sent  the  dog  back  to  its  old  master  with  a 
letter  rolled  under  the  collar,  wherein  he  had  written  about 
the  sagacity  of  the  beast,  and  begged  his  friend  to  forget 
the  loan  and  to  accept  another  five  thousand  rupees  as 
a  present.  When  this  merchant  saw  his  dog  coming 
back  again,  he  thought,  '  Alas  !  my  friend  is  wanting  the 
money.  How  can  I  pay  him  ?  I  have  not  had  sufficient 
time  to  recover  myself  from  my  recent  losses.  I  will  slay 
the  dog  ere  he  reaches  the  threshold,  and  say  that  another 
must  have  slain  it.      Thus  there  will  be  an  end  of  my  debt. 


io8  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

No  dog,  no  loan.'  Accordingly  he  ran  out  and  killed  the 
poor  dog,  when  the  letter  fell  out  of  its  collar.  The 
merchant  picked  it  up  and  read  it.  How  great  was  his 
grief  and  disappointment  when  he  knew  the  facts  of  the 
case ! 

^^  Beware,"  continued  the  prince,  ^Mest  you  do  that 
which  afterwards  you  would  give  your  life  not  to  have 
done." 

By  the  time  the  prince  had  concluded  this  story  it  was 
nearly  morning,  and  he  went  away,  after  rewarding  the 
man. 

The  prince  then  visited  the  country  belonging  to  his 
brother-in-law.  He  disguised  himself  as  a  jogi,  and  sitting 
down  by  a  tree  near  the  palace,  pretended  to  be  absorbed 
in  worship.  News  of  the  man  and  of  his  wonderful  piety 
reached  the  ears  of  the  king.  He  felt  interested  in  him^ 
as  his  wife  was  very  ill  ;  and  he  had  sought  for  hakims  to 
cure  her,  but  in  vain.  He  thought  that,  perhaps,  this  holy 
man  could  do  something  for  her.  So  he  sent  to  him. 
But  the  jogi  refused  to  tread  the  halls  of  a  king,  saying 
that  his  dwelling  was  the  open  air,  and  that  if  his 
Majesty  wished  to  see  him  he  must  come  himself  and 
bring  his  wife  to  the  place.  Then  the  king  took  his  wife 
and  brought  her  to  the  jogi.  The  holy  man  bade  her 
prostrate  herself  before  him,  and  when  she  had  remained  in 
this  position  for  about  three  hours,  he  told  her  to  rise  and 
go,  for  she  was  cured. 

In  the  evening  there  was  great  consternation  in  the 
palace,  because  the  queen  had  lost  her  pearl  rosary,  and 
nobody  knew  anything  about  it.  At  length  some  one  went 
to  the  jogi,  and  found  it  on  the  ground  by  the  place  where 


Lac  of  Rupees  for  Bit  of  Advice    109 

• 

the  queen  had  prostrated  herself.  When  the  king  heard 
this  he  was  very  angry,  and  ordered  the  jogi  to  be  executed. 
This  stern  order,  however,  was  not  carried  out,  as  the 
prince  bribed  the  men  and  escaped  from  the  country.  But 
he  knew  that  the  second  bit  of  advice  was  true. 

Clad  in  his  own  clothes,  the  prince  was  walking  along 
one  day  when  he  saw  a  potter  crying  and  laughing  alter- 
nately with  his  wife  and  children.  ^^  O  fool,"  said  he, 
'^  what  is  the  matter  ?  If  you  laugh,  why  do  you  weep  ? 
If  you  weep,  why  do  you  laugh  ?  " 

''Do  not  bother  me,"  said  the  potter.  "What  does  it 
matter  to  you  ?  " 

"Pardon  me/'  said  the  prince,  "but  I  should  like  to 
know  the  reason." 

"The  reason  is  this,  then,"  said  the  potter.  "The  king 
of  this  country  has  a  daughter  whom  he  is  obliged  to 
marry  every  day,  because  all  her  husbands  die  the  first 
night  of  their  stay  with  her.  Nearly  all  the  young  men  of 
the  place  have  thus  perished,  and  our  son  will  be  called  on 
soon.  We  laugh  at  the  absurdity  of  the  thing — a  potter's 
son  marrying  a  princess,  and  we  cry  at  the  terrible  conse- 
quence of  the  marriage.      What  can  we  do  ?  " 

"Truly  a  matter  for  laughing  and  weeping.  But  weep 
no  more,"  said  the  prince.  "  I  will  exchange  places  with 
your  son,  and  will  be  married  to  the  princess  instead  of 
him.  Only  give  me  suitable  garments,  and  prepare  me  for 
the  occasion." 

So  the  potter  gave  him  beautiful  raiment  and  ornaments, 
and  the  prince  went  to  the  palace.  At  night  he  was  con- 
ducted to  the  apartment  of  the  ppincess.  "  Dread  hour  !  " 
thought  he  ;   "  am   I   to  die   like   the  scores  of  young  men 


no  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

before  me  ?  "  He  clenched  his  sword  with  firm  grip,  and 
lay  down  on  his  bed,  intending  to  keep  awake  all  the  night 
and  see  what  would  happen.  In  the  middle  of  the  night 
he  saw  two  Shahmars  come  out  from  the  nostrils  of  the 
princess.  The}'  stole  over  towards  him,  intending  to  kill 
him,  like  the  others  who  had  been  before  him  :  but  he  was 
ready  for  them.  He  laid  hold  of  his  sword,  and  when  the 
snakes  reached  his  bed  h^  struck  at  them  and  killed  them. 
In  the  morning  the  king  came  as  usual  to  inquire,  and  was 
surprised  to  hear  his  daughter  and  the  prince  talking  gaily 
together.  "Surely,"  said  he,  "this  man  must  be  her 
husband,  as  he  only  can  live  with  her." 

''Where  do  you  come  from?  Who  are  you?"  asked 
the  king,  entering  the  room. 

"  O  king !  "  replied  the  prince,  ''  I  am  the  son  of  a  king 
whfe*  rules  over  such-and-such  a  country." 

When  he  heard  this  the  king  was  very  glad,  and  bade 
the  prince  to  abide  in  his  palace,  and  appointed  him  his 
successor  to  the  throne.  The  prince  remained  at  the  palace 
for  more  than  a  year,  and  then  asked  permission  to  visit 
his  own  country,  which  was  granted.  The  king  gave  him 
elephants,  horses,  jewels,  and  abundance  of  money  for  the 
expenses  of  the  way  and  as  presents  for  his  father,  and  the 
prince  started. 

On  the  way  he  had  to  pass  through  the  country  belong- 
ing to  his  brother-in-law,  whom  we  have  already  mentioned. 
Report  of  his  arrival  reached  the  ears  of  the  king,  who 
came  with  rope-tied  hands  and  haltered  neck  to  do  him 
homage.  He  most  humbly  begged  him  to  stay  at  his 
palace,  and  to  accept  what  little  hospitality  could  be  provided. 
While   the  prince  was  staying  at   the  palace  he  saw  his 


IP 


Lac  of  Rupees  for  Bit  of  Advice    in 


sister,  who  greeted  him  with  smiles  and  kisses.  On  leaving- 
he  told  her  how  she  and  her  husband  had  treated  him  at 
his  first  visit,  and  how  he  had  escaped  ;  and  then  gave  them 
two  elephants,  two  beautiful  horses,  fifteen  soldiers,  and  ten 
lacs  rupees'  worth  of  jewels. 

Afterwards  he  went  to  his  own  home,  and  informed  his 
mother  and  father  of  his  arrival.  Alas  !  his  parents  had 
both  become  blind  from  weeping  about  the  loss  of  their  son. 
"  Let  him  come  in,"  said  the  king,  "  and  put  his  hands 
upon  our  eyes,  and  we  shall  see  again."  So  the  prince 
entered,  and  was  most  affectionately  greeted  by  his  old 
parents  ;  and  he  laid  his  hands  on  their  eyes,  and  they  saw 
again. 

Then  the  prince  told  his  father  all  that  had  happened  to 
him,  and  how  he  had  been  saved  several  times  by  attending 
to  the  advice  that  be  had  purchased  from  the  Brahm^ni. 
Whereupon  the  king  expressed  his  sorrow  for  having  sent 
him  away,  and  all  was  joy  and  peace  again. 


The  Gold-giving  Serpent 


OW  in  a  certain  place  there  lived  a 
Brahman  named  Haridatta.  He  was  a 
farmer,  but  poor  was  the  return  his 
labour  brought  him.  One  day,  at  the 
end  of  the  hot  hours,  the  Brahman,  over- 
come by  the  heat,  lay  down  under  the 
shadow  of  a  tree  to  have  a  doze.  Suddenly  he  saw  a  great 
hooded  snake  creeping  out  of  an  ant-hill  near  at  hand.  So 
he  thought  to  himself,  "  Sure  this  is  the  guardian  deity  of 
the  field,  and  I  have  not  ever  worshipped  it.  That's  why 
my  farming  is  in  vain.  I  will  at  once  go  and  pay  my 
respects  to  it." 

When  he  had  made  up  his  mind,  he  got  some  milk, 
poured  it  into  a  bowl,  and  went  to  the  ant-hill,  and  said 
aloud  :  ^'  O  Guardian  of  this  Field  !  all  this  while  I  did  not 
know  that  you  dwelt  here.  That  is  why  I  have  not  yet 
paid  my  respects  to  you  ;  pray  forgive  me."  And  he  laid 
the  milk  down  and  went  to  his  house.  Next  morning  he 
came  and  looked,  and  he  saw  a  gold  denar  in  the  bowl,  and 
from  that  time  onward  every  day  the  same  thing  occurred  : 
he  gave  milk  to  the  serpent  and  found  a  gold  denar. 


I 


The  Gold-giving  Serpent       113 


One  day  the  Brahman  had  to  go  to  the  village,  and  so 
he  ordered  his  son  to  take  the  milk  to  the  ant-hill.  The 
son  brought  the  milk,  put  it  down,  and  went  back  home. 
Next  day  he  went  again  and  found  a  denar,  so  he  thought 
to  himself:  ''This  ant-hill  is  surely  full  of  golden  denars  ; 
I'll  kill  the  serpent,  and  take  them  all  for  myself."  So  next 
day,  while  he  was  giving  the  milk  to  the  serpent,  the 
Brahman's  son  struck  it  on  the  head  with  a  cudgel.  But 
the  serpent  escaped  death  by  the  will  of  fate,  and  in  a  rage 
bit  the  Brahman's  son  with  its  sharp  fangs,  and  he  fell 
down  dead  at  once.  His  people  raised  him  a  funeral  pyre 
not  far  from  the  field  and  burnt  him  to  ashes. 


wo  days  afterwards  his  father  came  back,  and  when  he 
learnt  his  son's  fate  he  grieved  and  mourned.  But  after  a 
time,  he  took  the  bowl  of  milk,  went  to  the  ant-hill,  and 
praised  the  serpent  with  a  loud  voice.  After  a  long,  long 
time  the  serpent  appeared,  but  only  with  its  head  out  of  the 
opening  of  the  ant-hill,  and  spoke  to  the  Brahman  :  "  'Tis 
greed  that  brings  you  here,  and   makes  you  even  forget  the 

H 


114  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

loss  of  your  son.  From  this  time  forward  friendship 
between  us  is  impossible.  Your  son  struck  me  in  youthful 
ignorance,  and  I  have  bitten  him  to  death.  How  can  I 
forget  the  blow  with  the  cudgel  ?  And  how  can  you  forget 
the  pain  and  grief  at  the  loss  of  your  son  ?  "  So  speaking, 
it  gave  the  Brahman  a  costly  pearl  and  disappeared.  But 
before  it  went  away  it  said  :  "Come  back  no  more."  The 
Brahman  took  the  pearl,  and  went  back  home,  cursing  the 
folly  of  his  son. 


The  Son  of  Seven   Queens 


NCE  upon  a  time  there  lived  a  King  who 
had  seven  Queens,  but  no  children. 
This  was  a  great  grief  to  him,  espe- 
cially when  he  remembered  that  on  his 
death  there  would  be  no  heir  to  inherit 
the  kingdom. 

Now  it  happened  one  day  that  a  poor  old  fakir  came 
to  the  King,  and  said,  ''  Your  prayers  are  heard,  your 
desire  shall  be  accomphshed,  and  one  of  your  seven  ^eens 
shall  bear  a  son." 

The  King's  delight  at  this  promise  knew  no  bounds,  and 
he  gave  orders  for  appropriate  festivities  to  be  prepared 
against  the  coming  event  throughout  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  land. 

Meanwhile  the  seven  Queens  lived  luxuriously  in  a 
splendid  palace,  attended  by  hundreds  of  female  slaves,  and 
fed  to  their  hearts'  content  on  sweetmeats  and  confec- 
tionery. 

Now  the  King  was  very  fond  of  hunting,  and  one  day, 
before  he  started,  the  seven  Queens  sent  him  a  message 
saying,  *'  May  it  please  our  dearest  lord  not  to  hunt  towards 


ii6 


Indian   Fairy  Tales 


the  north  to-day,  for  we  have  dreamt  bad  dreams,  and   fear 
lest  evil  should  befall  you." 

The  King,  to  allay  their  anxiety,  promised  regard  for 
their  wishes,  and  set  out  towards  the  south  ;  but  as  luck 
would  have  it,  although  he  hunted  diligently,  he  found  no 
game.  Nor  had  he  more  success  to  the  east  or  west,  so 
that,   being  a  keen  sportsman,   and  determined  not   to    go 


home  empty-handed,  he  forgot  all  about  his  promise,  and 
turned  to  the  north.  Here  also  he  was  at  first  unsuccess- 
ful, but  just  as  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  give  up  for  that 
day,  a  White  hind  with  golden  horns  and  silver  hoofs 
flashed  past  him  into  a  thicket.  So  quickly  did  it  pass 
that  he  scarcely  saw  it  ;  nevertheless  a  burning  desire  to 
capture  and  possess  the  beautiful  strange  creature  filled  his 


The  Son  of  Seven  Queens      117 

breast.  He  instantly  ordered  his  attendants  to  form  a  ring- 
round  the  thicket,  and  so  encircle  the  hind  ;  then,  gradually 
narrowing  the  circle,  he  pressed  forv/ard  till  he  could 
distinctly  see  the  white  hind  panting  in  the  midst.  Nearer 
and  nearer  he  advanced,  till,  just  as  he  thought  to  lay  hold 
of  the  beautiful  strange  creature,  it  gave  one  mighty  bound, 
leapt  clean  over  the  King's  head,  and  fled  towards  the 
mountains.  Forgetful  of  all  else,  the  King,  setting  spurs 
to  his  horse,  followed  at  full  speed.  On,  on  he  galloped, 
leaving  his  retinue  far  behind,  keeping  the  white  hind  in 
view,  never  drawing  bridle,  until,  finding  himself  in  a  narrow 
ravine  with  no  outlet,  he  reined  in  his  steed.  Before  him 
stood  a  miserable  hovel,  into  which,  being  tired  after  his 
long,  unsuccessful  chase,  he  entered  to  ask  for  a  drink  of 
water.  An  old  w^oman,  seated  in  the  hut  at  a  spinning- 
wheel,  answered  his  request  by  calling  to  her  daughter,  and 
immediately  from  an  inner  room  came  a  maiden  so  lovely 
and  charming,  so  white-skinned  and  golden-haired,  that  the 
King  was  transfixed  by  astonishment  at  seeing  so  beautiful 
a  sight  in  the  wretched  hovel. 

She  held  the  vessel  of  water  to  the  King's  lips,  and  as 
he  drank  he  looked  into  her  eyes,  and  then  it  became  clear 
to  him  that  the  girl  was  no  other  than  the  white  hind 
with  the  golden  horns  and  silver  feet  he  had  chased  so 
far. 

Her  beauty  bewitched  him,  so  he  fell  on  his  knees, 
begging  her  to  return  with  him  as  his  bride  ;  but  she  only 
laughed,  saying  seven  Queens  were  quite  enough  even  for  a 
King  to  manage.  However,  when  he  would  take  no  refusal, 
but  implored  her  to  have  pity  on  him,  promising  her  every- 
thing she  could  desire,  she  replied,  "  Give  me  the  eyes  of 


1 1 8  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

your  seven  Queens,  and   then    perhaps   I    may  believe   you 
mean  what  you  say." 

The  King  was  so  carried  away  by  the  glamour  of  the 
white  hind's  magical  beauty,  that  he  went  home  at  once, 
had  the  eyes  of  his  seven  Queens  taken  out,  and,  after 
throwing  the  poor  blind  creatures  into  a  noisome  dungeon 
whence  they  could  not  escape,  set  off  once  more  for  the 
hovel  in  the  ravine,  bearing  with  him  his  horrible  offering. 
But  the  white  hind  only  laughed  cruelly  when  she  saw  the 
fourteen  eyes,  and  threading  them  as  a  necklace,  flung  it 
round  her  mother's  neck,  saying,  '^  Wear  that,  little  mother, 
as  a  keepsake,  whilst  I  am  away  in  the  King's  palace." 

Then  she  went  back  with  the  bewitched  monarch,  as  his 
bride,  and  he  gave  her  the  seven  Queens'  rich  clothes  and 
jewels  to  wear,  the  seven  Queens'  palace  to  live  in,  and  the 
seven  Queens'  slaves  to  wait  upon  her ;  so  that  she  really 
had  everything  even  a  witch  could  desire. 

Now,  very  soon  after  the  seven  wretched  hapless  Queens 
had  their  eyes  torn  out,  and  were  cast  into  prison, 
a  baby  was  born  to  the  youngest  of  the  Queens.  It 
was  a  handsome  boy,  but  the  other  Queens  were  very 
jealous  that  the  youngest  amongst  them  should  be  so 
fortunate.  But  though  at  first  they  disliked  the  handsome 
little  boy,  he  soon  proved  so  useful  to  them,  that  ere  long 
they  all  looked  on  him  as  their  son.  Almost  as  soon  as  he 
could  walk  about  he  began  scraping  at  the  mud  wall  of  their 
dungeon,  and  in  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time  had  made 
a  hole  big  enough  for  him  to  crawl  through.  Through  this 
he  disappeared,  returning  in  an  hour  or  so  laden  with  sweet- 
meats, which  he  divided  equally  amongst  the  seven  blind 
Queens. 


I 


The  Son  of  Seven  Queens      119 


As  he  grew  older  he  enlarged  the  hole,  and  slipped  out 
two  or  three  times  every  day  to  play  with  the  little  nobles 
in  the  town.  No  one  knew  who  the  tiny  boy  was,  but 
everybody  liked  him,  and  he  was  so  full  of  funny  tricks  and 
antics,  so  merry  and  bright,  that  he  was  sure  to  be  rewarded 
by  some  girdle-cakes,  a  handful  of  parched  grain,  or  some 
sweetmeats.  All  these  things  he  brought  home  to  his  seven 
mothers,  as  he  loved  to  call  the  seven  bHnd  Queens,  who 
by  his  help  lived  on  in  their  dungeon  when  all  the  world 
thought  they  had  starved  to  death  ages  before. 

At  last,  when  he  was  quite  a  big  lad,  he  one  day  took 
his  bow  and  arrow,  and  went  out  to  seek  for  game. 
Coming  by  chance  past  the  palace  where  the  white  hind 
lived  in  wicked  splendour  and  magnificence,  he  saw  some 
pigeons  fluttering  round  the  white  marble  turrets,  and, 
taking  good  aim,  shot  one  dead.  It  came  tumbling  past 
the  very  w^indow  where  the  white  Queen  was  sitting  ;  she 
rose  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  and  looked  out.  At  the 
first  glance  of  the  handsome  young  lad  standing  there  bow 
in  hand,  she  knew  by  witchcraft  that  it  was  the  King's  son. 

She  nearly  died  of  envy  and  spite,  determining  to  destroy 
the  lad  without  delay ;  therefore,  sending  a  servant  to 
bring  him  to  her  presence,  she  asked  him  if  he  would  sell 
her  the  pigeon  he  had  just  shot. 

'^  No,"  replied  the  sturdy  lad,  ^'  the  pigeon  is  for  my 
seven  blind  mothers,  who  live  in  the  noisome  dungeon,  and 
who  would  die  if  I  did  not  bring  them  food." 

"  Poor  souls  !  "  cried  the  cunning  white  witch  ;  ^^  would 
you  not  like  to  bring  them  their  eyes  again  ?  Give  me  the 
pigeon,  my  dear,  and  I  faithfully  promise  to  show  you 
where  to  find  them." 


I20  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

Hearing  this,  the  lad  was  delighted  beyond  measure,  and 
gave  up  the  pigeon  at  once.  Whereupon  the  white  Queen 
told  him  to  seek  her  mother  without  delay,  and  ask  for  the 
eyes  which  she  wore  as  a  necklace. 

^'  She  will  not  fail  to  give  them,"  said  the  cruel  Queen, 
^*  if  you  show  her  this  token  on  which  I  have  written  what 
I  want  done." 

So  saying,  she  gave  the  lad  a  piece  of  broken  potsherd, 
with  these  words  inscribed  on  it — ^'  Kill  the  bearer  at  once, 
and  sprinkle  his  blood  like  water !  " 

Now,  as  the  son  of  seven  Queens  could  not  read,  he 
took  the  fatal  message  cheerfully,  and  set  off  to  find  the 
white  Queen's  mother. 

Whilst  he  was  journeying  he  passed  through  a  town,  where 
every  one  of  the  inhabitants  looked  so  sad,  that  he  could 
not  help  asking  what  was  the  matter.  They  told  him  it 
was  because  the  King's  only  daughter  refused  to  marry ;  so 
when  her  father  died  there  would  be  no  heir  to  the  throne. 
They  greatly  feared  she  must  be  out  of  her  mind,  for  though 
every  good-looking  young  man  in  the  kingdom  had  been 
shown  to  her,  she  declared  she  would  only  marry  one  who 
was  the  son  of  seven  mothers,  and  who  ever  heard  of  such 
a  thing  ?  The  King,  in  despair,  had  ordered  every  man 
who  entered  the  city  gates  to  be  led  before  the  Princess ; 
so,  much  to  the  lad's  impatience,  for  he  was  in  an  immense 
hurry  to  find  his  mothers'  eyes,  he  was  dragged  into  the 
presence-chamber. 

No  sooner  did  the  Princess  catch  sight  of  him  than  she 
blushed,  and,  turning  to  the  King,  said,  '^  Dear  father,  this 
is  my  choice  !  " 

Never  were  such  rejoicings  as  these  few  words  produced. 


/'  ^        Of  THE       ^r 

[yUNIVEBSITT 


The  Son  of  Seven  Queens      121 

The  inhabitants  nearly  went  wild  with  joy,  but  the  son  of 
seven  Queens  said  he  would  not  marry  the  Princess  unless 
they  first  let  him  recover  his  mothers'  eyes.  When  the 
beautiful  bride  heard  his  story,  she  asked  to  see  the 
potsherd,  for  she  was  very  learned  and  clever.  Seeing  the 
treacherous  words,  she  said  nothing,  but  taking  another 
similar-shaped  bit  of  potsherd,  she  wrote  on  it  these  words 
— "  Take  care  of  this  lad,  giving  him  all  he  desires,"  and 
returned  it  to  the  son  of  seven  Queens,  who,  none  the  wiser, 
set  off  on  his  quest. 

Ere  long  he  arrived  at  the  hovel  in  the  ravine  where  the 
white  witch's  mother,  a  hideous  old  creature,  grumbled 
dreadfully  on  reading  the  message,  especially  when  the  lad 
asked  for  the  necklace  of  eyes.  Nevertheless  she  took  it 
off,  and  gave  it  him,  saying,  ^*  There  are  only  thirteen  of 'em 
now,  for  I  lost  one  last  week. 

The  lad,  however,  was  only  too  glad  to  get  any  at  all,  so 
he  hurried  home  as  fast  as  he  could  to  his  seven  mothers, 
and  gave  two  eyes  apiece  to  the  six  elder  Queens  ;  but  to 
the  youngest  he  gave  one,  saying,  "  Dearest  little  mother  ! 
— I  will  be  your  other  eye  always  !  " 

After  this  he  set  off  to  marry  the  Princess,  as  he  had 
promised,  but  when  passing  by  the  white  Queen's  palace 
he  saw  some  pigeons  on  the  roof.  Drawing  his  bow,  he 
shot  one,  and  it  came  fluttering  past  the  window.  The 
white  hind  looked  out,  and  lo  !  there  was  the  King's  son 
alive  and  well. 

She  cried  with  hatred  and  disgust,  but  sending  for  the 
lad,  asked  him  how  he  had  returned  so  soon,  and  when  she 
heard  how  he  had  brought  home  the  thirteen  eyes,  and 
given  them  to  the  seven   blind   Queens,   she  could  hardly 


12  2  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

restrain  her  rage.  Nevertheless  she  pretended  to  be 
charmed  with  his  success,  and  told  him  that  if  he  would 
give  her  this  pigeon  also,  she  would  reward  him  with  the 
Jogi's  wonderful  cow,  whose  milk  flows  all  day  long,  and 
makes  a  pond  as  big  as  a  kingdom.  The  lad,  nothing  loth, 
gave  her  the  pigeon  ;  whereupon,  as  before,  she  bade  him 
go  ask  her  mother  for  the  cow,  and  gave  him  a  potsherd 
whereon  was  written — ''  Kill  this  lad  without  fail,  and 
sprinkle  his  blood  like  water  !  " 

But  on  the  way  the  son  of  seven  Queens  looked  in  on 
the  Princess,  just  to  tell  her  how  he  came  to  be  delayed, 
and  she,  after  reading  the  message  on  the  potsherd,  gave 
him  another  in  its  stead  ;  so  that  when  the  lad  reached  the 
old  hag's  hut  and  asked  her  for  the  Jogi's  cow,  she  could 
not  refuse,  but  told  the  boy  how  to  find  it  ;  and  bidding 
him  of  all  things  not  to  be  afraid  of  the  eighteen  thousand 
demons  who  kept  watch  and  ward  over  the  treasure,  told 
him  to  be  off  before  she  became  too  angry  at  her  daughter's 
foolishness  in  thus  giving  away  so  many  good  things. 

Then  the  lad  did  as  he  had  been  told  bravely.  He  journeyed 
on  and  on  till  he  came  to  a  milk-white  pond,  guarded  by 
the  eighteen  thousand  demons.  They  were  really  frightful 
to  behold,  but,  plucking  up  courage,  he  whistled  a  tune  as 
he  walked  through  them,  looking  neither  to  the  right  nor 
the  left.  By-and-by  he  came  upon  the  Jogi's  cow,  tall, 
white,  and  beautiful,  while  the  Jogi  himself,  who  was  king 
of  all  the  demons,  sat  milking  her  day  and  night,  and  the 
milk  streamed  from  her  udder,  filling  the  milk-white  tank. 

The  Jogi,  seeing  the  lad,  called  out  fiercely,  ^'  What  do 
you  want  here  ?  " 

Then  the  lad  answered,  according  to  the  old  hag's  bidding, 


I 


The  Son  of  Seven   Queens      123 


"  I  want  your  skin,  for  King  Indra  is  making  a  new  kettle- 
drum, and  says  your  skin  is  nice  and  tough." 

Upon  this  the  Jogi  began  to  shiver  and  shake  (for  no 
Jinn  or  Jogi  dares  disobey  King  Indra's  command),  and, 
falHng  at  the  lad's  feet,  cried,  ''  If  you  will  spare  me  I  will 
give  you  anything  I  possess,  even  my  beautiful  white  cow  !  " 
To  this  the  son  of  seven  Queens,  after  a  little  pretended 
hesitation,  agreed,  saying  that  after  all  it  would  not  be 
difficult  to  find  a  nice  tough  skin  like  the  Jogi's  elsewhere  ; 
so,  driving  the  wonderful  cow  before  him,  he  set  off  home- 
wards. The  seven  Queens  were  delighted  to  possess  so 
marvellous  an  animal,  and  though  they  toiled  from  mornmg 
till  night  making  curds  and  whey,  besides  selling  milk  to 
the  confectioners,  they  could  not  use  half  the  cow  gave,  and 
became  richer  and  richer  day  by  day. 

Seeing  them  so  comfortably  off,  the  son  of  seven  Queens 
started  with  a  light  heart  to  marry  the  Princess  ;  but  when 
passing  the  white  hind's  palace  he  could  not  resist  sending 
a  bolt  at  some  pigeons  which  were  cooing  on  the  parapet. 
One  fell  dead  just  beneath  the  window  where  the  white 
Queen  was  sitting.  Looking  out,  she  saw  the  lad  hale  and 
hearty  standing  before  her,  and  grew  whiter  than  ever  with 
rage  and  spite. 

She  sent  for  him  to  ask  how  he  had  returned  so  soon, 
and  when  she  heard  how  kindly  her  mother  had  received 
him,  she  very  nearly  had  a  fit ;  however,  she  dissembled 
her  feeHngs  as  well  as  she-  could,  and,  smiling  sweetly, 
said  she  was  glad  to  have  been  able  to  fulfil  her  promise, 
,ari'd  that  if  he  would  give  her  thie  third  pigeon,  she  would 
do  yet  more  for  him  than  she  had  done  before,  by  giving 
him  the  million-fold  rice,  which  ripens  in  one  night. 


124  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

The  lad  was  of  course  delighted  at  the  very  idea,  and, 
giving  up  the  pigeon,  set  off  on  his  quest,  armed  as  before 
with  a  potsherd,  on  which  was  written,  ''  Do  not  fail  this 
time.      Kill  the  lad,  and  sprinkle  his  blood  like  water !  " 

But  when  he  looked  in  on  his  Princess,  just  to  prevent 
her  becoming  anxious  about  him,  she  asked  to  see  the  pot- 
sherd as  usual,  and  substituted  another,  on  which  was 
written,  ''  Yet  again  give  this  lad  all  he  requires,  for  his 
blood  shall  be  as  your  blood  !  " 

Now  when  the  old  hag  saw  this,  and  heard  how  the  lad 
wanted  the  million-fold  rice  which  ripens  in  a  single  night, 
she  fell  into  the  most  furious  rage,  but  being  terribly  afraid 
of  her  daughter,  she  controlled  herself,  and  bade  the  boy  go 
and  find  the  field  guarded  by  eighteen  millions  of  demons, 
warning  him  on  no  account  to  look  back  after  having  plucked 
the  tallest  spike  of  rice,  which  grew  in  the  centre. 

So  the  son  of  seven  Queens  set  off,  and  soon  came  to 
the  field  where,  guarded  by  eighteen  millions  of  demons, 
the  milHon-fold  rice  grew.  He  walked  on  bravely,  looking 
neither  to  the  right  or  left,  till  he  reached  the  centre  and 
plucked  the  tallest  ear,  but  as  he  turned  homewards  a 
thousand  sweet  voices  rose  behind  him,  crying  in  tenderest 
accents,  ''  Pluck  me  too  !  oh,  please  pluck  me  too  !  "  He 
looked  back,  and  lo !  there  was  nothing  left  of  him  but  a 
little  heap  of  ashes  ! 

Now  as  time  passed  by  and  the  lad  did  not  return,  the 
old  hag  grew  uneasy,  remembering, the  message  "his  blood 
shall  be  as  your  blood  " ;  so  she  set  off  to  see  what  had 
happened. 

Soon  she  came  to  the  heap  of  ashes,  and  knowing  by 
her  arts  what  it  was,  she  took  a  little  water,   and   kneading 


I 


The  Son  of  Seven  Queens      125 


the  ashes  into  a  paste,  formed  it  into  the  likeness  of  a  man  ; 

then,  putting  a  drop  of  blood  from  her  little  finger  into  its 

mouth,    she    blew  on    it,   and  instantly   the   son   of  seven 

Queens  started  up  as  well  as  ever. 
■K  "  Don't  you  disobey  orders  again  !" 
■^•umbled    the    old    hag,    ^'  or    next 

time  I'll  leave  you   alone.      Now  be 

off,  before  I  repent  of  my  kindness  !  " 

»So  the  son  of  seven  Queens 
turned  joyfully  to  his  seven 
mothers,  who,  by  the  aid  of  the 
million-fold  rice,  soon  became  the 
richest  people  in  the  kingdom.  Then 
they  celebrated  their  son's  marriage 
to  the  clever  Princess  with  all 
imaginable  pomp  ;  but  the  bride  was 
so  clever,  she  would  not  rest  until 
she  had  made  known  her  husbiiud 
to  his  father,  and  punished  the  wicked 
white  witch.  So  she  made  her  hus- 
band build  a  palace  exactly  like  the 
one  in  which  the  seven  Queens  had 
lived,  and  in  which  the  white  witch 
now  dwelt  in  splendour.  Then, 
when  all  was  prepared,  she  bade 
her  husband  give  a  grand  feast  to  the  King.  Now  the 
King  had  heard  much  of  the  mysterious  son  of  seven 
Queens,  and  his  marvellous  wealth,  so  he  gladly  accepted 
the  invitation  ;  but  what  was  his  astonishment  when  on 
entering  the  palace  he  found  it  was  a  facsimile  of  his  own 
in  every  particular !      And  when    his    host,   richly   attired, 


126  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

led  him  straight  to  the  private  hall,  where  on  royal 
thrones  sat  the  seven  Queens,  dressed  as  he  had  last  seen 
them,  he  was  speechless  with  surprise,  until  the  Princess, 
coming  forward,  threw  herself  at  his  feet,  and  told  him  the 
whole  story.  Then  the  King  awoke  from  his  enchantment, 
and  his  anger  rose  against  the  wicked  white  hind  who  had 
bewitched  him  so  long,  until  he  could  not  contain  himself. 
So  she  was  put  to  death,  and  her  grave  ploughed  over,  and 
after  that  the  seven  Queens  returned  to  their  own  splendid 
palace,  and  everybody  lived  happily. 


A   Lesson  for  Kings 


NCE  upon  a  time,  when  Brahma-datta  was 
reigning  in  Benares,  the  future  Buddha 
returned  to  h'fe  as  his  son  and  heir.  And 
when  the  day  came  for  choosing  a  name, 
they  called  him  Prince  Brahma-datta.  He 
grew  up  in  due  course  ;  and  when  he  was 
sixteen  years  old,  went  to  Takkasila,  and  became  accom- 
plished in  all  arts.  And  after  his  father  died  he  ascended 
the  throne,  and  ruled  the  kingdom  with  righteousness  and 
equity.  He  gave  judgments  without  partiality,  hatred, 
ignorance,  or  fear.  Since  he  thus  reigned  with  justice, 
with  justice  also  his  ministers  administered  the  law.  Law- 
suits being  thus  decided  with  justice,  there  were  none  who 
brought  false  cases.  And  as  these  ceased,  the  noise  and 
tumult    of  litigation  ceased   in   the  king's   court.       Though 


128  Indian   Fairv  Tal 


es 


the  judges  sat  all  day  in  the  court,  they  had  to  leave 
without  any  one  coming  for  justice.  It  came  to  this,  that 
the  Hall  of  Justice  would  have  to  be  closed  ! 

Then  the  future  Buddha  thought,  '^  It  cannot  be  from  my 
reigning  with  righteousness  that  none  come  for  judgment ; 
the  bustle  has  ceased,  and  the  Hail  of  Justice  will  have  to 
be  closed.  I  must,  therefore,  now  examine  into  my  own 
faults  ;  and  if  I  find  that  anything  is  wrong  in  me,  put  that 
away,  and  practise  only  virtue." 

Thenceforth  he  sought  for  some  one  to  tell  him  his  faults, 
but  among  those  around  him  he  found  no  one  who  would 
tell  him  of  any  fault,  but  heard  only  his  own  praise. 

Then  he  thought,  "  It  is  from  fear  of  me  that  these  men 
speak  only  good  things,  and  not  evil  things,"  and  he  sought 
among  those  people  who  lived  outside  the  palace.  And 
finding  no  fault-finder  there,  he  sought  among  those  who 
lived  outside  the  city,  in  the  suburbs,  at  the  four  gates. 
And  there  too  finding  no  one  to  find  fault,  and  hearing 
only  his  own  praise,  he  determined  to  search  the  country 
places. 

So  he  made  over  the  kingdom  to  his  ministers,  and 
mounted  his  chariot ;  and  taking  only  his  charioteer,  left  the 
city  in  disguise.  And  searching  the  country  through,  up  to 
the  very  boundary,  he  found  no  fault-finder,  and  heard  only 
of  his  own  virtue  ;  and  so  he  turned  back  from  the  outer- 
most boundary,  and  returned  by  the  high  road  towards  the 
city. 

Now  at  that  time  the  king  of  Kosala,  Mallika  by  name, 
was  also  ruling  his  kingdom  with  righteousness  ;  and  when 
seeking  for  some  fault  in  himself,  he  also  found  no  fault- 
finder in  the  palace,  but  only  heard  of  his  own  virtue  !      So 


A   Lesson  for   Kings  129 

seeking  in  country  places,  he  too  came  to  that  very  spot. 
And  these  two  came  face  to  face  in  a  low  cart-track  with 
precipitous  sides,  where  there  was  no  space  for  a  chariot  to 
get  out  of  the  way  ! 

Then  the  charioteer  of  Mallika  the  king  said  to  the 
charioteer  of  the  king  of  Benares,  "  Take  thy  chariot  out  of 
the  way  !  " 

But  he  said,  ''  Take  thy  chariot  out  of  the  way,  O 
charioteer !  In  this  chariot  sitteth  the  lord  over  the  king- 
dom of  Benares,  the  great  king  Brahma-datta." 

Yet  the  other  replied,  "  In  this  chariot,  O  charioteer, 
sitteth  the  lord  over  the  kingdom  of  Kosala,  the  great  king 
Mallika.  Take  thy  carriage  out  of  the  way,  and  make  room 
for  the  chariot  of  our  king  !  " 

Then  the  charioteer  of  the  king  of  Benares  thought, 
"  They  say  then  that  he  too  is  a  king  !  What  j's  now  to  be 
done  ?  "  After  some  consideration,  he  said  to  himself,  *'  I 
know  a  way.  I'll  find  out  how  old  he  is,  and  then  I'll  let 
the  chariot  of  the  younger  be  got  out  of  the  way,  and  so 
make  room  for  the  elder." 

And  when  he  had  arrived  at  that  conclusion,  he  asked 
that  charioteer  what  the  age  of  the  king  of  Kosala  was. 
But  on  inquiry  he  found  that  the  ages  of  both  were  equal. 
Then  he  inquired  about  the  extent  of  his  kingdom,  and 
about  his  army,  and  his  wealth,  and  his  renown,  and  about 
the  country  he  lived  in,  and  his  caste  and  tribe  and  family. 
And  he  found  that  both  were  lords  of  a  kingdom  three  hun- 
dred leagues  in  extent  ;  and  that  in  respect  of  army  and 
wealth  and  renown,  and  the  countries  in  which  they  lived, 
and  their  caste  and  their  tribe  and  their  family,  they  were 
just  on  a  par  ! 

I 


130  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

Then  he  thought,  ^*  I  will  make  way  for  the  most 
righteous."  And  he  asked,  "  What  kind  of  righteousness 
has  this  king  of  yours  ?  " 

Then  the  chorister  of  the  king  of  Kosala,  proclaim- 
ing his  king's  wickedness  as  goodness,  uttered  the  First 
Stanza  : 

''  The  strong  he  overthrows  by  strength. 
The  mild  by  mildness,  does  Mallika  ; 
The  good  he  conquers  by  goodness, 
And  the  wicked  by  wickedness  too. 
Such  is  the  nature  of  this  king ! 
Move  out  of  the  way,  O  charioteer  !  " 

But  the  charioteer  of  the  king  of  Benares  asked 
him,  ''  Well,  have  you  told  all  the  virtues  of  your 
king  ?  " 

^'  Yes,"  said  the  other. 

*'  If  these  are  his  virtues,  where  are  then  his  faults  ?  " 
replied  he. 

The  other  said,  ''  Well,  for  the  nonce,  they  shall  be  faults, 
if  you  hke  !  But  pray,  then,  what  is  the  kind  of  goodness 
your  king  has  ?  " 

And  then  the  charioteer  of  the  king  of  Benares 
called  unto  him  to  hearken,  and  uttered  the  Second 
Stanza  : 

**  Anger  he  conquers  by  calmness. 
And  by  goodness  the  wicked  ; 
The  stingy  he  conquers  by  gifts. 
And  by  truth  the  speaker  of  lies. 
Such  is  the  nature  of  this  king  ! 
Move  out  of  the  way,  O  charioteer  !  " 


I 


A  Lesson  for  Kings  131 


And  when  he  had  thus  spoken,  both  Mallika  the  king  and 
his  charioteer  aUghted  from  their  chariot.  And  they  took 
out  the  horses,  and  removed  their  chariot,  and  made  way 
for  the  king  of  Benares  ! 


Pride  goeth  before  a  Fall 

I^N  a  certain  village  there  lived  ten  cloth  merchants, 
I  who  always  went  about  together.  Once  upon  a 
I  time  they  had  travelled  far  afield,  and  were  returning 
I  home  with  a  great  deal  of  money  which  they  had 
I  obtained  by  selling  their  wares.  Now  there  hap- 
i^  pened  to  be  a  dense  forest  near  their  village,  and 
this  they  reached  early  one  morning.  In  it  there  lived  three 
notorious  robbers,  of  whose  existence  the  traders  had  never 
heard,  and  while  they  were  still  in  the  middle  of  it  the 
robbers  stood  before  them,  with  swords  and  cudgels  in 
their  hands,  and  ordered  them  to  lay  down  all  they  had. 
The  traders  had  no  weapons  with  them,  and  so,  though 
they  were  many  more  in  number,  they  had  to  submit  them- 
selves to  the  robbers,  who  took  away  everything  from  them, 
even  the  very  clothes  they  wore,  and  gave  to  each  only 
a  small  loin-cloth  a  span  in  breadth  and  a  cubit  in 
length. 

The  idea  that  they  had  conquered  ten  men  and  plundered 
all  their  property,  now  took  possession  of  the  robbers' 
minds.  They  seated  themselves  like  three  monarchs  before 
the  men  they  had  plundered,  and  ordered  them    to  dance 


Pride  goeth  before  a   Fall       133 

to  them  before  returning  home.  The  merchants  now 
mourned  their  fate.  They  had  lost  all  they  had,  except 
their  loin-cloth,  and  still  the  robbers  were  not  satisfied,  but 

»*dered  them  to  dance. 
There  was,  among  the  ten  merchants,  one  who  was  very 
ever.  He  pondered  over  the  calamity  that  had  come 
upon  him  and  his  friends,  the  dance  they  would  have  to 
rform,  and  the  magnificent  manner  in  which  the  three 
robbers  had  seated  themselves  on  the  grass.  At  the  same 
time  he  observed  that  these  last  had  placed  their  weapons 
on  the  ground,  in  the  assurance  of  having  thoroughly 
cowed  the  traders,  who  were  now  commencing  to  dance. 
So  he  took  the  lead  in  the  dance,  and,  as  a  song  is 
always  surig  by  the  leader  on  such  occasions,  to  which 
the  rest  keep  time  with  hands  and  feet,  he  thus  began  to 
sing  : 

"We  are  enty  men, 

I  They  are  erith  men  : 

If  each  erith  man, 
Surround  eno  men 
Eno  man  remains. 
Td,  taiy  torn,  tadinganaT 

The  robbers  were  all  uneducated,  and  thought  that  the 
leader  was  merely  singing  a  song  as  usual.  So  it  was  in 
one  sense ;  for  the  leader  commenced  from  a  distance,  and 
had  sung  the  song  over  twice  before  he  and  his  com- 
panions commenced  to  approach  the  robbers.  They  had 
understood  his  meaning,  because  they  had  been  trained  in 
trade. 

When   tv/o  traders    discuss    the   price    of  an   article   in 


134  Indian   Fairy  Tales 


xaiigudgc. 


the  presence    of  a   purchaser,  they  use    a   riddling   sort    of 
language. 

What  is  the  price  of  this  cloth  ?  " 
one  trader  will  ask  another. 

Enty  rupees/'  another  will  reply,. 
''  ten  rupees." 
Thus,  there  is  no  possibility  of  the 
purchaser  knowing  what  is  meant  un- 
less he  be  acquainted  with  trade  language.  By  the  rules  of 
this  secret  language  erith  means  ^'  three,"  enty  means  '^  ten,' 
and  eno  means  "  one."  So 
the  leader  by  his  song  meant 
to  hint  to  his  fellow-traders 
that  they  were  ten  men,  the 
robbers  only  three,  that  if 
three  pounced  upon  each  of  the 
robbers,  nine  of  them  could 
hold  them  down,  while  the  remaining  one  bound  the  robbers'" 
hands  and  feet. 

The  three  thieves, 
glorying  in  their  vic- 
tory,  and, little    un- 
.  .m  »  derstandingthemean- 

J  /  \  f  ing  of  the  song  and 

^  the  intentions  of  the 

dancers,  were  proudly  seated  chewing  betel  and  tobacco. 
Meanwhile  the  song  was  sung  a  third  time.  Td 
tat  torn  had  left  the  lips  of  the  singer  ;  and,  be- 
fore tadingana  was  out  of  them,  the  traders 
separated  into  parties  of  three,  and  each  party 
pounced  upon  a  thief.      The  remaining    one — 


s  ^'  three,"  enty  means  '^  ten,"" 


r-Xr^ 


Y 


I 


Pride  goeth  before  a   Fall      135 


the  leader  himself — tore  up  into  long  narrow  strips  a 
large  piece  of  cloth,  six  cubits  long,  and  tied  the  hands  and 
feet  of  the  robbers.  These  were  entirely  humbled  now, 
and  rolled  on  the  ground  like  three  bags  of  rice  ! 

The  ten  traders  now  took  back  all  their  property, 
and  armed  themselves  with  the  swords  and  cudgels  of 
their  enemies  ;  and  when  they  reached  their  village,  they 
often  amused  their  friends  and  relatives  by  relating  their 
adventure. 


Raja    Rasalu, 


NCE  there  lived  a  great  Raja,  whose  name 
was  Salabhan,  and  he  had  a  Queen,  by 
name  Lona,  who,  though  she  wept  and 
prayed  at  many  a  shrine,  had  never  a 
child  to  gladden  her  eyes.  After  a  long 
time,  however,  a  son  was  promised  to  her. 
Queen  Lona  returned  to  the  palace,  and  when  the  time 
for  the  birth  of  the  promised  son  drew  nigh,  she  inquired 
of  three  Jogis  who  came  begging  to  her  gate,  what  the 
child's  fate  would  be,  and  the  youngest  of  them  answered 
and  said,  "  Oh,  Queen  !  the  child  will  be  a  boy,  and  he 
will  live  to  be  a  great  man.  But  for  twelve  years  you  must 
not  look  upon  his  face,  for  if  either  you  or  his  father  see  it 
before  the  twelve  years  are  past,  you  will  surely  die  !  This  is 
what  you  must  do  ;  as  soon  as  the  child  is  born  you  must 
send  him  away  to  a  cellar  underneath  the  ground,  and  never 
let  him  see  the  light  of  day  for  twelve  years.  After  they 
are  over,  he  may  come  forth,  bathe  in  the  river,  put  on  new 
clothes,  and  visit  you.  His  name  shall  be  Raja  Rasalu, 
and  he  shall  be  known  far  and  wide." 

So,  when  a  fair  young  Prince  was  in  due  time  born  into 


Raja  Rasalu  137 


the  world,  his  parents  hid  him  away  in  an  underground 
palace,  with  nurses,  and  servants,  and  everything  else  a 
King's  son  might  desire.  And  with  him  they  sent  a  young 
colt,  born  the  same  day,  and  sword,  spear,  and  shield, 
against  the  day  when  Raja  Rasalu  should  go  forth  into  the 
world. 

So  there  the  child  Hved,  playing  with  his  colt,  and  talk- 
ing to  his  parrot,  while  the  nurses  taught  him  all  things 
needful  for  a  King's  son  to  know. 

Young  Rasalu  lived  on,  far  from  the  light  of  day,  for 
eleven  long  years,  growing  tall  and  strong,  yet  contented  to 
remain  playing  with  his  colt,  and  talking  to  his  parrot  ;  but 
when  the  twelfth  year  began,  the  lad's  heart  leapt  up  with 
desire  for  change,  and  he  loved  to  listen  to  the  sounds  of 
life  which  came  to  him  in  his  palace-prison  from  the  out- 
side world. 

''  I  must  go  and  see  where  the  voices  come  from  !  "  he 
said  ;  and  when  his  nurses  told  him  he  must  not  go  for  one 
year  more,  he  only  laughed  aloud,  saying,  "  Nay  !  I  stay  no 
longer  here  for  any  man  ! " 

Then  he  saddled  his  Arab  horse  Bhaunr,  put  on  his 
shining  armour,  and  rode  forth  into  the  world  ;  but  mindful 
of  what  his  nurses  had  oft  told  him,  when  he  came  to  the 
river,  he  dismounted,  and,  going  into  the  water,  washed 
himself  and  his  clothes. 

Then,  clean  of  raiment,  fair  of  face,  and  brave  of  heart, 
he  rode  on  his  way  until  he  reached  his  father's  city. 
There  he  sat  down  to  rest  awhile  by  a  well,  where  the 
women  were  drawing  water  in  earthen  pitchers.  Now,  as 
they  passed  him,  their  full  pitchers  poised  upon  their  heads, 
the  gay  young  Prince  flung  stones  at  the  earthen   vessels, 


138  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

and  broke  them  all.  Then  the  women,  drenched  with  water, 
went  weeping  and  wailing  to  the  palace,  complaining  to  the 
King  that  a  mighty  young  Prince  in  shining  armour,  with  a 
parrot  on  his  wrist  and  a  gallant  steed  beside  him,  sat  by 
the  well,  and  broke  their  pitchers. 

Now,  as  soon  as  Rajah  Salabhan  heard  this,  he  guessed 
at  once  that  it  was  Prince  Rasalu  come  forth  before  the 
time,  and,  mindful  of  the  Jogis'  words  that  he  would  die  if 
he  looked  on  his  son's  face  before  twelve  years  were  past, 
he  did  not  dare  to  send  his  guards  to  seize  the  offender  and 
bring  him  to  be  judged.  So  he  bade  the  women  be  com- 
forted, and  take  pitchers  of  iron  and  brass,  giving  new  ones 
from  his  treasury  to  those  who  did  not  possess  any  of  their 
own. 

But  when  Prince  Rasalu  saw  the  women  returning  to  the 
well  with  pitchers  of  iron  and  brass,  he  laughed  to  himself, 
and  drew  his  mighty  bow  till  the  sharp-pointed  arrows 
pierced  the  metal  vessels  as  though  they  had  been  clay. 

Yet  still  the  King  did  not  send  for  him,  so  he  mounted 
his  steed  and  set  off  in  the  pride  of  his  youth  and  strength 
to  the  palace.  He  strode  into  the  audience  hall,  where  his 
father  sat  trembling,  and  saluted  him  will  all  reverence  ; 
but  Raja  Salabhan,  in  fear  of  his  life,  turned  his  back 
hastily  and  said  never  a  word  in  reply. 

Then  Prince  Rasalu  called  scornfully  to  him  across  the  hall: 

''  I  came  to  greet  thee,  King,  and  not  to  harm  thee  ! 
What  have  I  done  that  thou  shouldst  turn  away  ? 
Sceptre  and  empire  h'ave  no  power  to  charm  me — 
I  go  to  seek  a  worthier  prize  than  they  !  " 

Then  he  strode  away,  full  of  bitterness  and  anger  ;  but. 


I 


Raja  Rasalu  139 


as  he  passed  under  the  palace  windows,  he  heard  his  mother 
weeping,  and  the  sound  softened  his  heart,  so  that  his 
wrath  died  down,  and  a  great  lonehness  fell  upon  him,  be- 
caused  he  was  spurned  by  both  father  and  mother.  So  he 
cried  sorrowfully, 

'^  Oh  heart  crown'd  with  grief,  hast  thou  nought 

>But  tears  for  thy  son  ? 
Art  mother  of  mine  ?      Give  one  thought 
To  my  life  just  begun  !  " 

And  Queen  Lona  answered  through  her  tears  : 

"  Yea  !  mother  am  I,  though  I  weep, 
So  hold  this  word  sure, — 
Go,  reign  king  of  all  men,  but  keep 
Thy  heart  good  and  pure !  " 

So  Raja  Rasalu  was  comforted,  and  began  to  make  ready 
for  fortune.  He  took  with  him  his  horse  Bhaunr  and  his 
parrot,  both  of  whom  had  li\"ed  with  him  since  he  was 
born. 

So  they  made  a  goodly  company,  and  Queen  Lona,  when 
she  saw  them  going,  watched  them  from  her  window  till  she 
saw  nothing  but  a  cloud  of  dust  on  the  horizon  ;  then  she 
bowed  her  head  on  her  hands  and  wept,  saying  : 

"  Oh  !  son  who  ne'er  gladdened  mine  eyes. 
Let  the  cloud  of  thy  going  arise. 
Dim  the  sunlight  and  darken  the  day; 
For  the  mother  whose  son  is  away 
Is  as  dust  !  " 

Rasalu  had  started  off  to  play  chaupur  with  King  Sarkap. 
And  as  he  journeyed  there  came  a  fierce  storm  of  thunder 


140  Indian   Fairy   Tales 

and  lightning,  so  that  he  sought  shelter,  and  found  none 
save  an  old  graveyard,  where  a  headless  corpse  lay  upon  the 
ground.  So  lonesome  was  it  that  even  the  corpse  seemed 
company,  and  Rasalu,  sitting  down  beside  it,  said  : 

There  is  no  one  here,  nor  far  nor  near. 

Save  this  breathless  corpse  so  cold  and  grim  ; 
Would  God  he  might  come  to  life  again, 
'Twould  be  less  lonely  to  talk  to  him." 

And  immediately  the  headless  corpse  arose  and  sat  beside 
Raja  Rasalu.      And  he,  nothing  astonished,  said  to  it : 

**  The  storm  beats  fierce  and  loud, 

The  clouds  rise  thick  in  the  west  ; 
What  ails  thy  grave  and  shroud, 

Oh  corpse  !  that  thou  canst  not  rest  ?  " 

Then  the  headless  corpse  replied  : 

"'  On  earth  I  was  even  as  thou. 

My  turban  awry  like  a  king, 
My  head  with  the  highest,  I  trow, 

Having  my  fun  and  my  fling, 
Fighting  my  foes  like  a  brave. 
Living  my  life  with  a  swing. 
And,  now  I  am  dead, 
Sins,  heavy  as  lead, 
Will  give  me  no  rest  in  my  grave  !  " 

So  the  night  passed  on,  dark  and  dreary,  while  Rasalu 
sat  in  the  graveyard  and  talked  to  the  headless  corpse. 
Now  when  morning  broke  and  Rasalu  said  he  must  continue 


I 


Raja  Rasalu  141 


[lis  journey,  the  headless  corpse  asked  him  whither  he  was 
^oing,  and  when  he  said  "to  play  chaupur  with  King 
Sarkap,"  the  corpse  begged  him  to  give  up  the  idea  saying, 
"  I  am  King  Sarkap's  brother,  and  I  know  his  ways. 
Every  day,  before  breakfast,  he  cuts  off  the  heads  of  two  or 
:hree  men,  just  to  amuse  himself.  One  day  no  one  else 
*vas  at  hand,  so  he  cut  off  mine,  and  he  will  surely  cut  off 
y'ours  on  some  pretence  or  another.  However,  if  you  are 
ietermined  to  go  and  play  chaupur  with  him,  take  some  of 
;he  bones  from  this  graveyard,  and  make  your  dice  out  of 
hem,  and  then  the  enchanted  dice  with  which  my  brother 
3lays  will  lose  their  virtue.      Otherwise  he  will  always  win." 

So  Rasalu  took  some  of  the  bones  lying  about,  and 
'ashioned  them  into  dice,  and  these  he  put  into  his  pocket. 
Fhen,  bidding  adieu  to  the  headless  corpse,  he  went  on  his 
ivay  to  play  chaupur  with  the  King. 

Now,  as  Raja  Rasalu,  tender  -  hearted  and  strong, 
ourneyed  along  to  play  chaupur  with  the  King,  he  came  to 
I  burning  forest,  and  a  voice  rose  from  the  fire  saying,  "  Oh, 
Taveller !   for  God's  sake  save  me  from  the  fire  !  " 

Then  the  Prince  turned  towards  the  burning  forest,  and, 
o  !  the  voice  was  the  voice  of  a  tiny  cricket.  Nevertheless, 
R.asalu,  tender-hearted  and  strong,  snatched  it  from  the  fire 
md  set  it  at  liberty.  Then  the  little  creature,  full  of 
platitude,  pulled  out  one  of  its  feelers,  and  giving  it  to  its 
preserver,  said,  "  Keep  this,  and  should  you  ever  be  in 
rouble,  put  it  into  the  fire,  and  instantly  I  will  come  to 
^our  aid." 

The  Prince  smiled,  saying,  *'  What  help  could  yoit  give 
ne?''  Nevertheless,  he  kept  the  hair  and  went  on 
lis  way. 


142  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

Now,  when  he  reached  the  city  of  King  Sarkap,  seventy 
maidens,  daughters  of  the  King,  came  out  to  meet  him, — 
seventy  fair  maidens,  merry  and  careless,  full  of  smiles  and 
laughter  ;  but  one,  the  youngest  of  them  all,  when  she  saw 
the  gallant  young  Prince  riding  on  Bhaunr  Iraqi,  going 
gaily  to  his  doom,  was  filled  with  pity,  and  called  to  him 
saying : 

"  Fair  Prince,  on  the  charger  so  gray. 

Turn  thee  back  !   turn  thee  back  ! 
Or  lower  thy  lance  for  the  fray  ; 
Thy  head  will  be  forfeit  to-day  ! 
Dost  love  hfe  ?  then,  stranger,  I  pray. 
Turn  thee  back  !   turn  thee  back  !  " 

But  he,  smiling  at  the  maiden,  answered  lightly : 

"  Fair  maiden,  I  come  from  afar. 
Sworn  conqueror  in  love  and  in  war  ! 
King  Sarkap  my  coming  will  rue. 
His  head  in  four  pieces  I'll  hew  ; 
Then  forth  as  a  bridegroom  I'll  ride. 
With  you,  little  maid,  as  my  bride  !  " 

Now  when  Rasalu  replied  so  gallantly,  the  maiden 
looked  in  his  face,  and  seeing  how  fair  he  was,  and  how 
brave  and  strong,  she  straightway  fell  in  love  with  him,  and 
would  gladly  have  followed  him  through  the  world. 

But  the  other  sixty-nine  maidens,  being  jealous,  laughed 
scornfully  at  her,  saying,  ''  Not  so  fast,  oh  gallant  warrior! 
If  you  would  marry  our  sister  you  must  first  do  our 
bidding,  for  you  will  be  our  younger  brother." 

"  Fair  sisters  !  "  quoth  Rasalu  gaily,  ''  give  me  my  task 
and  I  will  perform  it." 


Raja  Rasalu  143 

So  the  sixty-nine  maidens  mixed  a  hundred- weight  of  millet 
seed  with  a  hundredweight  of  sand,  and  giving  it  to  Rasalu, 
bade  him  separate  the  seed  from  the  sand. 

Then  he  bethought  him  of  the  cricket,  and  drawing  the 
feeler  from  his  pocket,  thrust  it  into  the  fire.  And 
immediately  there  was  a  whirring  noise  in  the  air,  and  a 
great  flight  of  crickets  alighted  beside  him,  and  amongst 
them  the  cricket  whose  life  he  had  saved. 

Then  Rasalu  said,  "  Separate  the  millet  seed  from  the 
sand." 

''  Is  that  all  ?  "  quoth  the  cricket ;  '^  had  I  known  how 
small  a  job  you  wanted  me  to  do,  I  would  not  have 
assembled  so  many  of  my  brethren." 

,     With  that  the  flight  of  crickets  set  to  work,  and   in  one 
night  they  separated  the  seed  from  the  sand. 

Now  when  the  sixty-nine  fair  maidens,  daughters  of  the 
king  saw  that  Rasalu  had  performed  his  task,  they  set  him 
another,  bidding  him  swing  them  all,  one  by  one,  in  their 
swings,  until  they  were  tired. 

Whereupon  he  laughed,  saying,  "  There  are  seventy  of 
you,  counting  my  little  bride  yonder,  and  I  am  not  going  to 
spend  my  life  swinging  girls  !  Why,  by  the  time  I  have 
given  each  of  you  a  swing,  the  first  will  be  wanting  another  ! 
No  !  if  you  want  a  swing,  get  in,  all  seventy  of  you,  into 
one  swing,  and  then  I'll  see  what  can  be  done." 

So  the  seventy  maidens  climbed  into  one  swing,  and  Raja 
Rasalu,  standing  in  his  shining  armour,  fastened  the  ropes 
to  his  mighty  bow,  and  drew  it  up  to  its  fullest  bent. 
Then  he  let  go,  and  like  an*  arrow  the  swing  shot  into 
the  air,  with  its  burden  of  seventy  fair  maidens,  merry  and 
careless,  full  of  smiles  and  laughter. 


144  Indian   Fairy   Tales 

But  as  it  swung  back  again,  Kasaiu,  standing  there  in  his 
shining  armour,  drew  his  sharp  sword  and  severed  the 
ropes.  Then  the  seventy  fair  maidens  fell  to  the  ground 
headlong  ;  and  some  were  bruised  and  some  broken,  but 
the  only  one  who  escaped  unhurt  was  the  maiden  who 
loved  Rasalu,  for  she  fell  out  last,  on  the  top  of  the  others, 
and  so  came  to  no  harm. 

After  this,  Rasalu  strode  on  fifteen  paces,  till  he  came 
to  the  seventy  drums,  that  every  one  who  came  to  play 
chaupur  with  the  King  had  to  beat  in  turn  ;  and  he  beat 
them  so  loudly  that  he  broke  them  all.  Then  he  came  to 
the  seventy  gongs,  all  in  a  row,  and  he  hammered  them  so 
hard  that  they  cracked  to  pieces. 

Seeing  this,  the  youngest  Princess,  who  was  the  only  one 
who  could  run,  fled  to  her  father  the  King  in  a  great  fright, 
saying : 

"  A  mighty  Prince,  Sarkap  !   making  havoc,  rides  along, 
He  swung  us,  seventy  maidens    fair,  and   threw  us  out 

headlong ; 
He  broke  the  drums  you  placed  there  and  the  gongs  too 

in  his  pride, 
Sure,  he  will  kill  thee,  father  mine,  and  take   me  for  his 

bride  ! " 

But  King  Sarkap  replied  scornfully  : 

*^  Silly  maiden,  thy  words  make  a  lot 

Of  a  very  small  matter  ; 
For  fear  of  my  valour,  1  wot, 

His  armour  will  clatter. 
As  soon  as  I've  eaten  my  bread 
I'll  go  forth  and  cut  off  his  head  !  " 


Raja  Rasalu  145 

Notwithstanding  these  brave  and  boastful  words,  he  was 

reality    very    much    afraid,   having    heard    of  Rasalu's 

pown.      And  learning  that  he  was   stopping  at   the  house 

an   old   woman   in   the    city,   till    the   hour    for   playing 

laupur  arrived,  Sarkap   sent    slaves   to   him   with  trays  of 

^eetmeats  and    fruit,  as   to  an  honoured   guest.      But   the 

)d  was  poisoned. 

Now     when     the     slaves     brought    the   trays   to     Raja 
Lasalu,    he    rose    up    haughtily,    saying,    '^Go,    tell    your 
laster  I  have  nought  to  do  with  him  in   friendship.      I   am 
is  sworn  enemy,  and  I  eat  not  of  his  salt !  " 
So  saying,  he  threw    the   sweetmeats   to    Raja   Sarkap's 
•dog,  which  had  followed  the  slave,  and  lo  !  the  dog  died. 

Then  Rasalu  was  very  wroth,  and  said  bitterly,  '*  Go 
back  to  Sarkap,  slaves  !  and  tell  him  that  Rasalu  deems  it 
no  act  of  bravery  to  kill  even  an  enemy  by  treachery." 

Now,  when  evening  came,  Raja  Rasalu  went  forth  to  play 
chaupur  with  King  Sarkap,  and  as  he  passed  some  potters' 
kilns  he  saw  a  cat  wandering  about  restlessly ;  so  he 
asked  what  ailed  her,  that  she  never  stood  still,  and  she 
repHed,  ''  My  kittens  are  in  an  unbaked  pot  in  the  kiln 
yonder.  It  has  just  been  set  alight,  and  my  children  will 
be  baked  alive  ;   therefore  I  cannot  rest  !  " 

Her  words  moved  the  heart  of  Raja  Rasalu,  and,  going  to 
the  potter,  he  asked  him  to  sell  the  kiln  as  it  was ;  but  the 
potter  replied  that  he  could  not  settle  a  fair  price  till  the 
pots  were  burnt,  as  he  could  not  tell  how  many  would  coilie 
out  whole.  Nevertheless,  after  some  bargaining,  he 
consented  at  last  to  sell  the  kiln,  and  Rasalu,  having 
searched  all  the  pots,  restored  the  kittens  to  their  mother, 
and  she,   in  gratitude  for  his  merc}^  gave  him  one  of  them, 

K 


146  Indian   Fairy  Tales 


saying,  '*  Put  it  in  your  pocket,  for  it  will  help  you  when 
you  are  in  difficulties."  So  Raja  Rasalu  put  the  kitten  in 
his  pocket,  and  went  to  play  chaupur  with  the  King. 

Now,  before  they  sat  down  to  play.  Raja  Sarkap  fixed 
his  stakes, — on  the  first  game,  his  kingdom  ;  on  the 
second,  the  wealth  of  the  whole  world  ;  and,  on  the  thirds 
his  own  head.  So,  likewise,  Raja  Rasalu  fixed  his  stakes, 
— on  the  first  game,  his  arms  ;  on  the  second,  his  horse  ; 
and,  on  the  third,  his  own  head. 

Then  they  began  to  play,  and  it  fell  to  Rasalu's  lot  to 
make  the  first  move.  Now  he,  forgetful  of  the  dead  man's 
warning,  played  with  the  dice  given  him  by  Raja  Sarkap, 
besides  which,  Sarkap  let  loose  his  famous  rat,  Dhol  Raja, 
and  it  ran  about  the  board,  upsetting  the  chaupur  pieces  on 
the  sly,  so  that  Rasalu  lost  the  first  game,  and  gave  up  his 
shining  armour. 

Then  the  second  game  began,  and  once  more  Dhol 
Raja,  the  rat,  upset  the  pieces  ;  and  Rasalu,  losing  the 
game,  gave  up  his  faithful  steed.  Then  Bhauni,  the  Arab 
steed,  who  stood  by,  found  voice,  and  cried  to  his  master, 

"  Sea-born  am  I,  bought  with  much  gold  ; 
Dear  Prince  !  trust  me  now  as  of  old. 
I'll  carry  you  far  from  these  wiles — 
My  flight,  all  unspurr'd,  will  be  swift  as  a  bird, 

For  thousands  and  thousands  of  miles ! 
Or  if  needs  you  must  stay  ;   ere  the  next  game  you  play, 
Place  hand  in  your  pocket,  I  pray  !  " 

Hearing  this,  Raja  Sarkap  frowned,  and  bade  his  slaves 
remove  Bhaunr,  the  Arab  steed,  since  he  gave  his  master 
advice  in  the  game.      Now,  when  the  slaves   came  to  lead 


K»  ctja»lvasalu«f)l  ays  •cnctu)3UP' 


^^ 


(  tJNlVEKSITl  ) 


UNIVERSITY 


I 


Raja  Rasalu  147 


the  faithful  steed  away,  Rasalu  could  not  refrain  from 
tears,  thinking  over  the  long  years  during  which  Bhaunr,. 
the  Arab  steed,  had  been  his  companion.  But  the  horse 
cried  out  again, 

*'  Weep  not,  dear  Prince  !   I  shall  not  eat  my  bread 
Of  stranger  hands,  nor  to  strange  stall  be  led. 
Take  thy  right  hand,  and  place  it  as  I  said." 

These  words  roused  some  recollection  in  Rasalu's  mind,, 
and  when,  just  at  this  moment,  the  kitten  in  his  pocket 
began  to  struggle,  he  remembered  all  about  the  warning,, 
and  the  dice  made  from  dead  men's  bones.  Then  his  heart 
rose  up  once  more,  and  he  called  boldly  to  Raja  Sarkap,. 
"  Leave  my  horse  and  arms  here  for  the  present.  Time 
enough  to  take  them  away  when  you  have  won  my  head  ! " 

Now,  Raja  Sarkap,  seeing  Rasalu's  confident  bearing, 
began  to  be  afraid,  and  ordered  all  the  women  of  his  palace 
to  come  forth  in  their  gayest  attire  and  stand  before  Rasalu, 
so  as  to  distract  his  attention  from  the  game.  But  he  never 
even  looked  at  them,  and  drawing  the  dice  from  his  pocket, 
said  to  Sarkap,  *'  We  have  played  with  your  dice  all  this 
time  ;   now  we  will  play  with  mine." 

Then  the  kitten  went  and  sat  at  the  window  through 
which  the  rat  Dhol  Raja  used  to  come,  and  the  game  began. 

After  a  while,  Sarkap,  seeing  Raja  Rasalu  was  winning, 
called  to  his  rat,  but  when  Dhol  Raja  saw  the  kitten  he  was 
afraid,  and  would  not  go  further.  So  Rasalu  won,  and 
took  back  his  arms.  Next  he  played  for  his  horse,  and 
once  more  Raja  Sarkap  called  for  his  rat  ;  but  Dhol  Raja^ 
seeing  the  kitten  keeping  watch,  was  afraid.  So  Rasalu 
won  the  second  stake,  and  took  back  Bhaunr,  the  Arab  steed. 


148  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

Then  Sarkap  brought  all  his  skill  to  bear  on  the  third 
and  last  game,  saying, 

''  Oh  moulded  pieces  !  favour  me  to-day  ! 
For  sooth  this  is  a  man  with  whom  I  play. 
No  paltry  risk — but  life  and  death  at  stake  ; 
As  Sarkap  does,  so  do,  for  Sarkap's  sake  !  " 

But  Rasalu  answered  back, 

*'  Oh  moulded  pieces  !   favour  me  to-day  ! 
For  sooth  it  is  a  man  with  whom  I  play. 
No  paltry  risk — but  life  and  death  at  stake  ; 
As  Heaven  does,  so  do,  for  Heaven's  sake  !  " 

So  they  began  to  play,  whilst  the  women  stood  round 
in  a  circle,  and  the  kitten  watched  Dhol  Raja  from  the 
window.  Then  Sarkap  lost,  first  his  kingdom,  then  the 
wealth  of  the  whole  world,  and  lastly  his  head. 

Just  then,  a  servant  came  in  to  announce  the  birth  of  a 
daughter  to  Raja  Sarkap,  and  he,  overcome  by  misfortunes, 
said,  "  Kill  her  at  once  !  for  she  has  been  born  in  an  evil 
moment,  and  has  brought  her  father  ill  luck  !  " 

But  Rasalu  rose  up  in  his  shining  armour,  tender- 
hearted and  strong,  saying,  "  Not  so,  oh  king  !  She  has 
done  no  evil.  Give  me  this  child  to  wife  ;  and  if  you  will 
vow,  by  all  you  hold  sacred,  never  again  to  play  chaupur 
for  another's  head,  I  will  spare  yours  now  !  " 

Then  Sarkap  vowed  a  solemn  vow  never  to  play  for 
another's  head  ;  and  after  that  he  took  a  fresh  mango 
branch,  and  the  new-born  babe,  and  placing  them  on  a 
golden  dish   gave  them  to  Rasalu. 

Now,  as  he  ieit  the  palace,  carrying  with  him   the   new- 


I 


Raja  Rasalu  149 


born    babe    and   the    mango    branch,    he   met     a   band    of 
prisoners,  and  they  called  out   to  him, 

^^^     '^A  royal  hawk  art  thou,  oh  King!  the  rest 
I^K        But  timid  wild-fowl.      Grant  us  our  request, — 
Hk.       Unloose  these  chains,  and  live  for  ever  blest  !  " 

And  Raja  Rasalu  hearkened  to  them,  and  bade  King 
Sarkap  set  them  at  liberty. 

Then  he  went  to  the  Murti  Hills,  and  placed  the  new-born 
babe,  Kokilan,  in  an  underground  palace,  and  planted  the 
mango  branch  at  the  door,  saying,  *'  In  twelve  years  the 
mango  tree  will  blossom  ;  then  will  I  return  and  marry 
Kokilan." 

And  after  twelve  years,  the  mango  tree  began  to  flower, 
and  Raja  Rasalu  married  the  Princess  Kokilan,  whom  he 
won  from  Sarkap  when  he  played  chaupur  with  the  King. 


The  Ass  in  the   Lion's  Skin 


T  the  same  time,  when  Brahma-datta  was 
reigning  in  Benares,  the  future  Buddha 
was  born  one  of  a  peasant  family  ;  and 
when  he  grew  up,  he  gained  his  living  by 
tilhng  the  ground. 

At  that  time  a  hawker  used  to  go  from 
place  to  place,  trafficking  in  goods  carried  by  an  ass.  Now 
at  each  place  he  came  to,  when  he  took  the  pack  down  from 
the  ass's  back,  he  used  to  clothe  him  in  a  lion's  skin,  and 
turn  him  loose  in  the  rice  and  barley  fields.  And  when  the 
watchmen  in  the  fields  saw  the  ass,  they  dared  not  go  near 
him,  taking  him  for  a  lion. 


I 


The  Ass  in  the   Lion's  Skin     151 


So  one  day  the  hawker  stopped  in  a  village  ;  and  whilst 
he  was  getting  his  own  breakfast  cooked,  he  dressed  the  ass 

.^n  a  lion's  skin,  and   turned   him   loose    in   a   barley-field. 

I^pie  watchmen  in  the  field  dared  not  go  up  to  him  ;  but 
going  home,  they  published  the  news.  Then  all  the  vil- 
lagers came  out  with  weapons  in  their  hands  ;  and  blowing 
chanks,  and  beating  drums,  they  went  near  the  field  and 
shouted.      Terrified  with  the  fear  of  death,  the  ass  uttered 

I^P  cry — the  bray  of  an  ass  ! 

And  when  he  knew  him  then  to  be  an  ass,  the  future 
Buddha  pronounced  the  First  Verse  : 

"This  is  not  a  lion's  roaring, 
Nor  a  tiger's,  nor  a  panther's  ; 
Dressed  in  a  lion's  skin, 

'Tis  a  wretched  ass  that  roars  ! " 

But  when  the  villagers  knew  the  creature  to  be  an  ass, 
they  beat  him  till  his  bones  broke  ;  and,  carrying  off  the 
lion's  skin,  went  away.  Then  the  hawker  came  ;  and  see- 
ing the  ass  fallen  into  so  bad  a  plight,  pronounced  the 
Second  Verse  : 

*^  Long  might  the  ass, 
Clad  in  a  lion's  skin, 
Have  fed  on  the  barley  green. 
But  he  brayed  ! 

And  that  moment  he  came  to  ruin." 

And  even  whilst  he  was  yet  speaking  the  ass  died  on  the 
spot  ! 


The  Farmer  and  the  Money- 
lender 

HERE  was  once  a  farmer  who  suffered 
much  at  the  hands  of  a  money-lender. 
Good  harvests,  or  bad,  the  farmer  was 
always  poor,  the  money-lender  rich.  At 
the  last,  when  he  hadn't  a  farthing  left,, 
farmer  went  to  the  money-lender's  house, 
and  said,  ''  You  can't  squeeze  water  from  a  stone,  and  as 
you  have  nothing  to  get  by  me  now,  you  might  tell  me  the 
secret  of  becoming  rich." 

"  My  friend,"  returned  the  money-lender,  piously,  ^'  riches 
come  from  Ram — ask  hini.^' 

"  Thank  you,  I  will ! "  replied  the  simple  farmer ;  so 
he  prepared  three  girdle-cakes  to  last  him  on  the  journey, 
and  set  out  to  find  Ram. 

First  he  met  a  Brahman,  and  to  him  he  gave  a  cake, 
asking  him  to  point  out  the  road  to  Ram  ;  but  the  Brahman 
only  took  the  cake  and  went  on  his  way  without  a  word. 
Next  the  farmer  met  a  Jogi  or  devotee,  and  to  him  he  gave 
a  cake,  without  receiving  any  help   in   return.      At   last,   he 


I 


Farmer  and  the  Money-lender    153 


came  upon  a  poor  man  sitting  under  a  tree,  and  finding  out 
he  was  hungry,  the  kindly  farmer  gave  him  his  last  cake, 
and  sitting  down  to  rest  beside  him,  entered  into  conver- 
sation. 

"And  where  are  you  going?"  asked  the  poor  man,  at 
^Jength. 

*'  Oh,  I  have  a  long  journey  before  me,  for  I  am  going  to 
find  Ram  ! "  replied  the  farmer.  "  I  don't  suppose  you 
could  tell  me  which  way  to  go  ?  " 

*'  Perhaps  I  can,"  said  the  poor  man,  smiling,  ''for  /  am 
Ram  !      What  do  you  want  of  me  ?  " 

Then  the  farmer  told  the  whole  story,  and  Ram,  taking 
pity  on  him,  gave  him  a  conch  shell,  and  showed  him  how 
to  blow  it  in  a  particular  way,  saying,  "  Remember !  what- 
ever you  wish  for,  you  have  only  to  blow  the  conch  that 
way,  and  your  wish  will  be  fulfilled.  Only  have  a  care  of 
that  money-lender,  for  even  magic  is  not  proof  against  their 
wiles  !  " 

The  farmer  went  back  to  his  village  rejoicing.  In  fact 
the  money-lender  noticed  his  high  spirits  at  once,  and  said 
to  himself,  ''  Some  good  fortune  must  have  befallen  the 
stupid  fellow,  to  make  him  hold  his  head  so  jauntily.'' 
Therefore  he  went  over  to  the  simple  farmer's  house,  and 
congratulated  him  on  his  good  fortune,  in  such  cunning 
words,  pretending  to  have  heard  all  about  it,  that  before 
long  the  farmer  found  himself  telling  the  whole  story — all 
except  the  secret  of  blowing  the  conch,  for,  with  all  his 
simplicity,  the  farmer  was  not  quite  such  a  fool  as  to  tell 
that. 

Nevertheless,  the  money-lender  determined  to  have  the 
conch  by  hook  or  by  crook,  and  as  he  was  villain   enough 


154  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

not   to  stick  at  trifles,   he  waited  for  a  favourable  oppor- 
tunity and  stole  the  conch. 

But,  after  nearly  bursting  himself  with  blowing  the  conch 
in  every  conceivable  way,   he  was  obliged   to  give  up   the 

secret  as  a  bad  job.  However, 
being  determined  to  succeed 
he  went  back  to  the  farmer, 
and  said,  coolly,  "  Look  here  ; 
I've  got  your  conch,  but  I  can't 
use  it ;  you  haven't  got  it,  so 
it's  clear  you  can't  use  it 
either.  Business  is  at  a  stand- 
still unless  we  make  a  bargain. 
Now,  I  promise  to  give  you 
back  your  conch,  and  never  to 
interfere  with  your  using  it,  on 
one  condition,  which  is  this, 
— whatever  you  get  from  it, 
I  am  to  get  double." 

"Never!"  cried  the  far- 
mer ;  *'  that  would  be  the  old 
business  all  over  again  ! " 

''  Not  at    all !  "  replied   the 

wily  money-lender  ;  "  you  will 

have  your  share  !     Now,  don't 

be  a  dog  in   the   manger,  for 

i( you  get  all  you  want,  what  can  it  matter  to  you   if  /  am 

rich  or  poor  ?  " 

At  last,  though  it  went  sorely  against  the  grain  to  be  of 
any  benefit  to  a  money-lender,  the  farmer  was  forced  to 
yield,  and  from  that  time,  no  matter  what  he  gained  by  the 


Farmer  and  the   Money-lender    155 

power  of  the  conch,  the  money-lender  gained  double.  And 
the  knowledge  that  this  was  so  preyed  upon  the  farmer's 
mind  day  and  night,  so  that  he  had  no  satisfaction  out  of 
anything. 

At  last,  there  came  a  very  dry  season, — so  dry  that  the 
farmer's  crops  withered  for  want  of  rain.  Then  he  blew 
his  conch,  and  wished  for  a  well  to  water  them,  and  lo  !  there 
was  the  well,  but  the  money-lender  had  two  ! — two  beautiful 
new  wells  !  This  was  too  much  for  any  farmer  to  stand ; 
and  our  friend  brooded  over  it,  and  brooded  over  it,  till  at 
last  a  bright  idea  came  into  his  head.  He  seized  the  conch, 
blew  it  loudly,  and  cried  out,  "  Oh,  Ram  !  I  wish  to  be 
blind  of  one  eye  !  "  And  so  he  was,  in  a  twinkling,  but 
the  money-lender  of  course  was  blind  of  both,  and  in  trying 
to  steer  his  way  between  the  two  new  wells,  he  fell  into 
-one,  and  was  drowned. 

Now  this  true  story  shows  that  a  farmer  once  got  the 
better  of  a  money-lender — but  only  by  losing  one  of  his 
-eyes. 


The  Boy  who  had  a  Moon  on 
his  Forehead   and   a  Star 
on   his   Chin 


^  a  country  were  seven  daughters  of  poor 
parents,  who  used  to  come  daily  to  play 
under  the  shady  trees  in  the  King's  garden 
with  the  gardener's  daughter  ;  and  daily 
she  used  to  say  to  them,  "  When  I  am 
married  I  shall  have  a  son.  Such  a 
beautiful  boy  as  he  will  be  has  never  been  seen.  He  will 
have  a  moon  on  his  forehead  and  a  star  on  his  chin."  Then 
her  playfellows  used  to  laugh  at  her  and  mock  her. 

But  one  day  the  King  heard  her  telling  them  about  the 
beautiful  boy  she  would  have  when  she  was  married,  and  he 
said  to  himself  he  should  like  very  much  to  have  such  a  son  ; 
the  more  so  that  though  he  had  already  four  Queens  he  had 
no  child.  He  went,  therefore,  to  the  gardener  and  told  him 
he  wished  to  marry  his  daughter.  This  delighted  the  gardener 
and  his  wife,  who  thought  it  would  indeed  be  grand  for  their 
daughter  to  become  a  princess.  So  they  said  ''  Yes  "  to  the. 
King,  and   invited   all   their  friends  to   the  wedding.      The 


I 


Boy  with   Moon   on   Forehead    157 


King  invited  all  his,  and  he  gave  the  gardener  as  much 
money  as  he  wanted.  Then  the  v^edding  v^as  held  with 
great  feasting  and  rejoicing. 

A  year  later  the  day  drew  near  on  which  the  gardener's 
daughter  was  to  have  her  son  ;  and  the  King's  four  other 
Queens  came  constantly  to  see  her.  One  day  they  said  to  her, 
"  The  King  hunts  every  day  ;  and  the  time  is  soon  coming 
when  you  will  have  your  child.  Suppose  you  fell  ill  whilst 
he  was  out  hunting  and  could  therefore  know  nothing  of 
your  illness,  what  would  you  do  then  ? " 

When  the  King  came  home  that  evening,  the  gardener's 
daughter  said  to  him,  "  Every  day  you  go  out  hunting. 
Should  I  ever  be  in  trouble  or  sick  while  you  are  away,  how 
could  I  send  for  you  ?"  The  King  gave  her  a  kettle-drum 
which  he  placed  near  the  door  for  her,  and  he  said  to  her, 
*'  Whenever  you  want  me,  beat  this  kettle-drum.  No  matter 
how  far  away  I  may  be,  I  shall  hear  it,  and  will  come  at  once 
to  you." 

Next  morning  when  the  King  had  gone  out  to  hunt,  his 
four  other  Queens  came  to  see  the  gardener's  daughter.  She 
told  them  all  about  her  kettle-drum.  '*  Oh,"  they  said,  "do 
drum  on  it  just  to  see  if  the  King  really  will  come  to  you." 

"  No,  I  will  not,"  she  said  ;  "  for  why  should  I  call  him 
from  his  hunting  when  I  do  not  want  him  ?  " 

**  Don't  mind  interrupting  his  hunting,"  they  answered. 
*'  Do  try  if  he  really  will  come  to  you  when  you  beat  your 
kettle-drum."  So  at  last,  just  to  please  them,  she  beat  it, 
and  the  King  stood  before  her. 

"  Why  have  you  called  me  ?"  he  said.  "  See,  I  have  left 
my  hunting  to  come  to  you." 

"  I   want   nothing,"   she  answered  ;    ''  I   only  wished   to 


158  Indian   Fairy   Tales 

know  if  you  really  would  come  to  me  when  I  beat  my 
drum." 

**Very  well,"  answered  the  King  ;  ^*  but  do  not  call  me 
again  unless  you  really  need  me."  Then  he  returned  to  his 
hunting. 

The  next  day,  when  the  King  had  gone  out  hunting  as 
usual,  the  four  Queens  again  came  to  see  the  gardener's  daugh- 
ter. They  begged  and  begged  her  to  beat  her  drum  once 
more,  *'  just  to  see  if  the  King  will  really  come  to  see  you 
this  time."  At  first  she  refused,  but  at  last  she  consented. 
So  she  beat  her  drum,  and  the  King  came  to  her.  But  when 
he  found  she  was  neither  ill  nor  in  trouble,  he  was  angry, 
and  said  to  her,  ^*  Twice  I  have  left  my  hunting  and  lost 
my  game  to  come  to  you  when  you  did  not  need  me.  Now 
you  may  call  me  as  much  as  you  like,  but  I  will  not  come 
to  you,"  and  then  he  went  away  in  a  rage. 

The  third  day  the  gardener's  daughter  fell  ill,  and  she  beat 
and  beat  her  kettle-drum  ;  but  the  King  never  came.  He 
heard  her  kettle-drum,  but  he  thought,  "  She  does  not  really 
want  me  ;  she  is  only  trying  to  see  if  I  will  go  to  hef." 

Meanwhile  the  four  'other  Queens  carne  to  her,  and  they 
said,  ''  Here  it  is  the  custom  before  a  child  is  born  to  bind 
its  mother's  eyes  with  a  handkercheif  that  she  may  not  see 
it  just  at  first.  So  let  us  bind  your  eyes."  She  answered, 
**  Very  well,  bind  my  eyes."  The  four  wives  then  tied  a 
handkerchief  over  them. 

Soon  after,  the  gardener's  daughter  had  a  beautiful  little 
son,  with  a  moon  on  his  forehead  and  a  star  on  his  chin, 
and  before  the  poor  mother  had  seen  him,  the  four  wicked 
Queens  took  the  boy  to  the  nurse  and  said  to  her,  "  Now  you 
must  not  let  this  child  make  the  least  sound  for  fear  his 


Boy  with   Moon  on   Forehead     159 

mother  should  hear  him  ;  and  in  the  night  you  must  either 
kill  him,  or  else  take  him  away,  so  that  his  mother  may 
never  see  him.  If  you  obey  our  orders,  we  will  give  you  a 
great  many  rupees."  All  this  they  did  out  of  spite.  The 
nurse  took  the  little  child  and  put  him  into  a  box,  and  the 
four  Queens  went  back  to  the  gardener's  daughter. 

First  they  put  a  stone  into  her  boy's  little  bed,  and  then 
they  took  the  handkerchief  off  her  eyes  and  showed  it  her, 
saying,  **  Look  !  this  is  your  son  ! "  The  poor  girl  cried 
bitterly,  and  thought,  "  What  will  the  King  say  when  he 
finds  no  child  ?"      But  she  could  do  nothing. 

When  the  King  came  home,  he  was  furious  at  hearing  his 
youngest  wife,  the  gardener's  daughter,  had  given  him  a 
stone  instead  of  the  beautiful  little  son  she  had  promised 
him.  He  made  her  one  of  the  palace  servants,  and  never 
spoke  to  her. 

In  the  middle  of  the  night  the  nurse  'took  the  box  in 
which  was  the  beautiful  little  prince,  and  went  out  to  a  broad 
plain  in  the  jungle.  There  she  dug  a  hole,  made  the  fasten- 
ings of  tlife  box  sure,  and  put  the  box  into  the  hole,  although 
the  child  in  it  was  still  alive.  The  King's  dog,  whose  name 
was  Shankar,  had  followed  her  to  see  what  she  did  with  the 
box.  As  soon  as  she  had  gone  back  to  the  four  Queens  (who 
gave  her  a  great  many  rupees),  the  dog  went  to  the  hole  in 
which  she  had  put  the  box,  took  the  box  out,  and  opened  it. 
When  he  saw  the  beautiful  little  boy,  he  was  very  much  de- 
lighted and  said,  "  If  it  pleases  Khuda  that  this  child  should 
live,  I  will  not  hurt  him ;  I  will  not  eat  him,  but  I  will  swal- 
low him  whole  and  hide  him  in  my  stomach."      This  he  did. 

After  six  months  had  passed,  the  dog  went  by  night  to  the 
jungle,  and   thought,  "  I  wonder  whether  the  boy  is  alive  or 


i6o  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

dead."  Then  he  brought  the  child  out  of  his  stomach  and 
rejoiced  over  his  beauty.  The  boy  was  now  six  months  old. 
When  Shankar  had  caressed  and  loved  him,  he  swallowed 
him  again  for  another  six  months.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
he  went  once  more' by  night  to  the  broad  jungle-plain.  There 
he  brought  up  the  child  out  of  his  stomach  (the  child  was 
now  a  year  old),  and  caressed  and  petted  him  a  great  deal, 
and  was  made  very  happy  by  his  great  beauty. 

But  this  time  the  dog's  keeper  had  followed  and  watched 
the  dog  ;  and  he  saw  all  that  Shankar  did,  and  the  beautiful 
little  child,  so  he  ran  to  the  four  Queens  and  said  to  them, 
*'  Inside  the  King's  dog  there  is  a  child  !  the  loveliest  child  ! 
He  has  a  moon  on  his  forehead  and  a  star  on  his  chin. 
Such  a  child  has  never  been  seen  !"  At  this  the  four  wives 
were  very  much  frightened,  and  as  soon  as  the  King  came 
home  from  hunting  they  said  to  him,  "  While  you  were 
away  your  dog  came  to  our  rooms,  and  tore  our  clothes 
and  knocked  about  all  our  things.  We  are  afraid  he  will 
kill  us."  *'  Do  not  be  afraid,"  said  the  King.  Eat  your 
dinner  and  be  happy.  I  will  have  the  dog  shot  to-morrow 
morning." 

Then  he  ordered  his  servants  to  shoot  the  dog  at  dawn, 
but  the  dog  heard  him,  and  said  to  himself,  ''  What  shall  I 
do  ?  The  King  intends  to  kill  me.  .1  don't  care  about  that, 
but  what  will  become  of  the  child  if  I  am  killed  ?  He  will 
die.      But  I  will  see  if  I  cannot  save  him."  I 

So  when  it  was  night,  the  dog  ran  to  the  King's  cow,  who 
was  called  Suri,  and  said  to  her,  ^'Suri,  I  want  to  give  you  i 
something,  for  the  King  has  ordered  me  to  be  shot  to-morrow,  i 
Will  you  take  great  care  of  whatever  I  give  you  ?" 

"  Let  me  see  what  it  is,"  said  Suri,  *'  I  will  take  care  of  it  if 


I 


Boy   with  Moon  on   Forehead    i6i 


I  can."  Then  they  both  went  together  to  the  wide  plain,  and 
there  the  dog  brought  up  the  boy.  Suri  was  enchanted  with 
him.  ''  I  never  saw  such  a  beautiful  child  in  this  country/* 
she  said.  *'  See,  he  has  a  moon  on  his  forehead  and  a  star  on 
his  chin.  I  will  take  the  greatest  care  of  him."  So  saying 
she  swallowed  the  little  prince.  The  dog  made  her  a  great 
many  salaams,  and  said,  "  To-morrow  I  shall  die  ;"  and  the 
cow  then  went  back  to  her  stable. 

Next  morning  at  dawn  the  dog  was  taken  to  the  jungle 
and  shot. 

The  child  now  lived  in  Suri's  stomach  ;  and  when  one 
whole  year  had  passed,  and  he  was  two  years  old,  the  cow 
went  out  to  the  plain,  and  said  to  herself,  ^*  I  do  not  know 
whether  the  child  is  alive  or  dead.  But  I  have  never  hurt 
it,  so  I  will  see."  Then  she  brought  up  the  boy  ;  and  he 
played  about,  and  Suri  was  delighted  ;  she  loved  him  and 
caressed  him,  and  talked  to  him.  Then  she  swallowed  him, 
and  returned  to  her  stable. 

At  the  end  of  another  year  she  went  again  to  the  plain 
and  brought  up  the  child.  He  played  and  ran  about  for  an 
hour  to  her  great  delight,  and  she  talked  to  him  and  caressed 
him.  His  great  beauty  made  her  very  happy.  Then  she 
swallowed  him  once  more  and  returned  to  her  stable.  The 
child  was  now  three  years  old. 

But  this  time  the  cowherd  had  followed  Suri,  and  had  seen 
the  wonderful  child  and  all  she  did  to  it.  So  he  ran  and 
told  the  four  Queens,  *'  The  King's  cow  has  a  beautiful  boy 
inside  her.  He  has  a  moon  on  his  forehead  and  a  star  on. 
his  chin.     Such  a  child  has  never  been  seen  before  !" 

At  this  the  Queens  were  terrified.  They  tore  their  clothes 
and  their  hair  and  cried.      When  the   King  came   home   at 

L 


i62  Indian   Fairy  Tales 


evening,  he  asked  them  why  they  were  so  agitated.  ''  Oh," 
they  said,  ''  your  cow  came  and  tried  to  kill  us  ;  but  we  ran 
away.  She  tore  our  hair  and  our  clothes."  ''Nevermind," 
said  the  King.  ''  Eat  your  dinner  and  be  happy.  The  cow 
shall  be  killed  to-morrow  morning." 

Now  Suri  heard  the  King  give  this  order  to  the  servants, 
so  she  said  to  herself,  ''  What  shall  I  do  to  save  the  child  ?  " 
When  it  was  midnight,  she  went  to  the  King's  horse  called 
Katar,  who  was  very  wicked,  and  quite  untameable.  No  one 
had  ever  been  able  to  ride  him  ;  indeed  no  one  could  go 
near  him  with  safety,  he  was  so  savage.  Suri  said  to  this 
horse,  '*  Katar,  will  you  take  care  of  something  that  I  want 
to  give  you,  because  the  King  has  ordered  me  to  be  killed 
to-morrow  ?  " 

"  Good,"  said  Katar  ;  ^'  show  me  what  it  is."  Then  Suri 
brought  up  the  child,  and  the  horse  was  delighted  with  him. 
"  Yes,"  he  said,  ''I  will  take  the  greatest  care  of  him.  Till 
now  no  one  has  been  able  to  ride  me,  but  this  child  shall 
ride  me."  Then  he  swallowed  the  boy,  and  when  he  had 
done  so,  the  cow  made  him  many  salaams,  saying,  ''  It  is 
for  this  boy's  sake  that  I  am  to  die."  The  next  morning  she 
was  taken  to  the  jungle  and  there  killed. 

The  beautiful  boy  now  lived  in  the  horse's  stomach,  and 
he  stayed  in  it  for  one  whole  year.  At  the  end  of  that 
time  the  horse  thought,  ^'  I  will  see  if  this  child  is  alive  or 
dead."  So  he  brought  him  up  ;  and  then  he  loved  him, 
and  petted  him,  and  the  little  prince  played  all  about  the 
stable,  out  of  which  the  horse  was  never  allowed  to  go. 
Katar  was  very  glad  to  see  the  child,  who  was  now  four  years 
old.  After  he  had  played  for  some  time,  the  horse  swallowed 
him  again.     At  the  end  of  another  year,  when  the  boy  was 


Boy  with  Moon  on   Forehead    163 

five  years  old,  Katar  brought  him  up  again,  caressed  him, 
loved  him,  and  let  him  play  about  the  stable  as  he  had  done 
a  year  before.      Then  the  horse  swallowed  him  again. 

But  this  time  the  groom  had  seen  all  that  happened,  and 
when  it  was  morning,  and  the  King  had  gone  away  to  his 
hunting,  he  went  to  the  four  wicked  Queens,  and  told  them  all 
he  had  seen,  and  all  about  the  wonderful,  beautiful  child  that 
lived  inside  the  King's  horse  Katar.  On  hearing  the  groom's 
story  the  four  Queens  cried, and  tore  their  hair  and  clothes,  and 
refused  to  eat.  When  the  King  returned  at  evening  and 
asked  them  why  they  were  so  miserable,  they  said,  *^  Your 
horse  Katar  came  and  tore  our  clothes,  and  upset  all  our 
things,  and  we  ran  away  for  fear  he  should  kill  us." 

''  Never  mind,"  said  the  King.  '^  Only  eat  your  dinner 
and  be  happy.  I  will  have  Katar  shot  to-morrow."  Then 
he  thought  that  two  men  unaided  could  not  kill  such  a  wicked 
horse,  so  he  ordered  his  servants  to  bid  his  troop  of  sepoys 
shoot  him. 

So  the  next  day  the  King  placed  his  sepoys  all  round  the 
stable,  and  he  took  up  his  stand  with  them  ;  and  he  said  he 
would  himself  shoot  any  one  who  let  his  horse  escape. 

Meanwhile  the  horse  had  overheard  all  these  orders.  So 
he  brought  up  the  child  and  said  to  him,  ^^  Go  into  that  Httle 
room  that  leads  out  of  the  stable,  and  you  will  find  in  it  a 
saddle  and  bridle  which  you  must  put  on  me.  Then  you 
will  find  in  the  room  some  beautiful  clothes  such  as  princes 
wear  ;  these  you  must  put  on  yourself ;  and  you  must  take 
the  sword  and  gun  you  will  find  there  too.  Then  you  must 
mount  on  my  back."  Now  Katar  was  a  fairy-horse,  and 
came  from  the  fairies'  country,  so  he  could  get  anything  he 
wanted  ;  but  neither  the  King  nor  any  of  his  people  knew  this. 


164  Indian  Fairy  Tales 


When  all  was  ready,  Katar  burst  out  of  his  stable,  with  the 
prince  on  his  back,  rushed  past  the  King  himself  before  the 
King  had  time  to  shoot  him,  galloped  away  to  the  great 
jungle-plain,  and  galloped  about  all  over  it.  The  King  saw 
his  horse  had  a  bo}'-  on  his  back,  though  he  could  not  see 
the  boy  distinctly.  The  sepoys  tried  in  vain  to  shoot  the 
horse ;   he  galloped  much  too  fast  ;  and  at  last  they  were  all 


scattered  over  the  plain.  Then  the  King  had  to  give  it  up 
and  go  home  ;  and  the  sepoys  went  to  their  homes.  The 
King  could  not  shoot  any  of  his  sepoys  for  letting  his  horse 
escape,  for  he  himself  had  let  him  do  so. 

Then  Katar  galloped  away,  on,  and  on,  and  on  ;  and  when 
night  came  they  stayed  under  a  tree,  he  and  the  King's  son. 
The  horse  ate  grass,  and  the  boy  wild  fruits  which  he  found 


Boy  with  Moon  on  Forehead    165 

in  the  jungle.  Next  morning  they  started  afresh,  and  went 
far,  and  far,  till  they  came  to  a  jungle  in  another  country, 
which  did  not  belong  to  the  little  prince's  father,  but  to  another 
king.  Here  Katar  said  to  the  boy,  '*  Now  get  off  my  back." 
Off  jumped  the  prince.  ''  Unsaddle  me  and  take  off  my 
bridle  ;  take  off  your  beautiful  clothes  and  tie  them  all  up 
in  a  bundle  with  your  sword  and  gun."  This  the  boy  did. 
Then  the  horse  gave  him  some  poor,  common  clothes,  which 
he  told  him  to  put  on.  As  soon  as  he  was  dressed  in  them 
the  horse  said,  *'  Hide  your  bundle  in  this  grass,  and  I  will 
take  care  of  it  for  you.  I  will  always  stay  in  this  jungle-plain, 
so  that  when  you  want  me  you  will  always  find  me.  You 
must  now  go  away  and  find  service  with  some  one  in  this 
country." 

This  made  the  boy  very  sad.  1  know  nothing  about 
anything,"  he  said.  ''  What  shall  I  do  all  alone  in  this 
country." 

*'  Do  not  be  afraid,"  answered  Katar.  "-  You  will  find 
service,  and  I  will  always  stay  here  to  help  you  when  you 
want  me.  So  go,  only  before  you  go,  twist  my  right  ear." 
The  boy  did  so,  and  his  horse  instantly  became  a  donkey^,  ' 
*'  Now  twist  your  right  ear,"  said  Katar.  And  when  the  boy  ' 
had  twisted  it,  he  was  no  longer  a  handsome  prince,  but  a 
poor,  common-looking,  ugly  man  ;  and  his  moon  and  star 
were  hidden. 

Then  he  went  away  further  into  the  country,  until  he  came 
to  a  grain  merchant  of  the  country,  who  asked  him  who  he 
was.  "  I  am  a  poor  man,"  answered  the  boy,  '^  and  I  want 
service."  "  Good,"  said  the  grain  merchant,  *'  you  shall  be 
my  servant." 

Now  the  grain  merchant  lived  near  the  King's  palace,  and 


1 66  Indian   Fairy  Tales 


one  night  at  twelve  o'clock  the  boy  was  very  hot  ;  so  he 
went  out  into  the  King's  cool  garden,  and  began  to  sing  a 
lovely  song.  The  seventh  and  youngest  daughter  of  the 
King  heard  him,  and  she  wondered  who  it  was  who  could 
sing  so  deliciously.  Then  she  put  on  her  clothes,  rolled  up 
her  hair,  and  came  down  to  where  the  seemingly  poor  com- 
mon man  was  lying  singing.  ^'  Who  are  you  ?  where  do  you 
come  from  ?  "   she  asked. 

But  he  answered  nothing. 

^'  Who  is  this  man  who  does  not  answer  when  I  speak 
to  him  ?  "  thought  the  little  princess,  and  she  went  away. 
On  the  second  night  the  same  thing  happened,  and  on  the 
third  night  too.  But  on  the  third  night,  when  she  found  she 
could  not  make  him  answer  her,  she  said  to  him,  "  What  a 
strange  man  you  are  not  to  answer  me  when  I  speak  to  you." 
But  still  he  remained  silent,  so  she  went  away. 

The  next  day,  when  he  had  finished  his  work,  the  young 
prince  went  to  the  jungle  to  see  his  horse,  who  asked  him, 
"  Are  you  quite  well  and  happy  ?  "  "  Yes,  I  am,"  answered 
the  boy.  ''  I  am  servant  to  a  grain  merchant.  The  last  three 
nights  I  have  gone  into  the  King's  garden  and  sung  a  song, 
and  each  night  the  youngest  princess  has  come  to  me  and 
asked  me  who  I  am,  and  whence  I  came,  and  I  have  answered 
nothing.  What  shall  I  do  now  ?  "  The  horse  said,  ^^  Next 
time  she  asks  you  who  you  are,  tell  her  you  are  a. very  poor 
man,  and  came  from  your  own  country  to  find  service  here." 

The  boy  then  went  home  to  the  grain  merchant,  and  at 
night,  when  every  one  had  gone  to  bed,  he  went  to  the  King's 
garden  and  sang  his  sweet  song  again.  The  youngest 
princess  heard  him,  got  up,  dressed,  and  came  to  him. 
"  Who  are  you  ?     Whence  do  you  come  ?  "  she  asked. 


THE    BOY    WITH    THE    MOON    ON    HIS    FOREHEAD 


XJNIVEBSITY 


Boy  with  Moon  on   Forehead    167 

''I  am  a  very  poor  man,"  he  answered.  **  I  came  from 
my  own  country  to  seek  service  here,  and  I  am  now  one  of 
the  grain  merchant's  servants."  Then  she  went  away.  For 
three  more  nights  the  bo}^  sang  in  the  King's  garden,  and 
each  night  the  princess  came  and  asked  him  the  same  ques- 

tns  as  before,  and  the  boy  gave  her  the  same  answers. 
Then  she  went  to  her  father,  and  said  to  him,  "  Father, 
vish  to  be  married  ;  but  I  must  choose  my  husband  my- 
self." Her  father  consented  to  this,  and  he  wrote  and  in- 
vited all  the  Kings  and  Rajas  in  the  land,  saying,  *'  My 
youngest  daughter  wishes  to  be  married,  but  she  insists  on 
choosing  her  husband  herself.  As  I  do  not  know  who  it  is 
she  wishes  to  marry,  I  beg  ycu  will  all  come  on  a  certain 
day,  for  her  to  see  you  and  make  her  choice. 

A  great  many  Kings,  Rajas,  and  their  sons  accepted  this 
invitation,  and  came.  When  they  had  all  arrived,  the  little 
princess's  father  said  to  them,  ^^  To-morrow  morning  you 
must  all  sit  together  in  my  garden  "  (the  King's  garden  was 
very  large),  *'  for  then  my  youngest  daughter  will  come  and 
see  you  all,  and  choose  her  husband.  I  do  not  know  whom 
she  will  choose. 

The  youngest  princess  ordered  a  grand  elephant  to  be 
ready  for  her  the  next  morning,  and  when  the  morning 
came,  and  all  was  ready,  she  dressed  herself  in  the  most 
lovely  clothes,  and  put  on  her  beautiful  jewels  ;  then  she 
mounted  her  elephant,  which  was  painted  blue.  In  her 
hand  she  took  a  gold  necklace. 

Then  she  went  into  the  garden  where  the  Kings,  Rajas, 
and  their  sons  were  seated.  The  boy,  the  grain  merchant's 
servant,  was  also  in  the  garden  :  not  as  a  suitor,  but  looking 
on  with  the  other  servants. 


1 68  Indian   Fairy  Tales 


The  princess  rode  all  round  the  garden,  and  looked  at 
all  the  Kings  and  Rajas  and  princes,  and  then  she  hung 
the  gold  necklace  round  the  neck  of  the  boy,  the  grain  mer- 
chant's servant.  At  this  everybody  laughed,  and  the  Kings 
were  greatly  astonished.  But  then  they  and  the  Rajas  said, 
'^  What  fooling  is  this  ? "  and  they  pushed  the  pretended 
poor  man  away,  and  took  the  necklace  off  his  neck,  and  said 
to  him,  *'  Get  out  of  the  way,  you  poor,  dirty  man.  Your 
clothes  are  far  too  dirty  for  you  to  come  near  us  ! "  The  boy 
went  far  away  from  them,  and  stood  a  long  way  off  to  see 
what  would  happen. 

Then  the  King's  youngest  daughter  went  all  round  the  gar- 
den again,  holding  her  gold  necklace  in  her  hand,  and  once 
more  she  hung  it  round  the  boy's  neck.  Every  one  laughed 
at  her  and  said,  "  How  can  the  King's  daughter  think  of 
marrying  this  poor,  common  man  ! "  and  the  Kings  and  the 
Rajas,  who  had  come  as  suitors,  all  wanted  to  turn  him  out 
of  the  garden.  But  the  princess  said,  ''  Take  care  !  take 
care  !  You  must  not  turn  him  out.  Leave  him  alone." 
Then  she  put  him  on  her  elephant,  and  took  him  to  the  palace. 

The  Kings  and  Rajas  and  their  sons  were  very  much 
astonished,  and  said,  ^'  What  does  this  mean  ?  The  princess 
does  not  care  to  marry  one  of  us,  but  chooses  that  very  poor 
man  ! "  Her  father  then  stood  up,  and  said  to  them  all, 
<*  I  promised  my  daughter  she  should  marry  any-  one  she 
pleased,  and  as  she  has  twice  chosen  that  poor,  common 
man,  she  shall  marry  him."  And  so  the  princess  and  the 
boy  were  married  with  great  pomp  and  splendour  :  her  father 
and  mother  were  quite  content  with  her  choice  ;  and  the 
Kings,  the  Rajas  and  their  sons,  all  returned  to  their  homes. 

Now  the  princess's  six  sisters  had  all  married  rich  princes, 


Boy  with  Moon   on   Forehead   169 

and  they  laughed  at  her  for  choosing  such  a  poor  ugly  hus- 
band as  hers  seemed  to  be,  and  said  to  each  other,  mock- 
ingly, "  See!  our  sister  has  married  this  poor,  common  man  !  " 
Their  six  husbands  used  to  go  out  hunting  every  day,  and 
every  evening  they  brought  home  quantities  of  all  kinds  of 
game  to  their  wives,  and  the  game  was  cooked  for  their 
dinner  and  for  the  King's  ;  but  the  husband  of  the  youngest 
princess  always  stayed  at  home  in  the  palace,  and  never 
went  out  hunting  at  all.  This  made  her  very  sad,  and  she 
said  to  herself,  *'  My  sisters'  husbands  hunt  every  day,  but 
my  husband  never  hunts  at  all." 

At  last  she  said  to  him,  "  Why  do  you  never  go  out  hunt- 
ing as  my  sisters'  husbands  do  every  day,  and  every  day  they 
bring  home  quantities  of  all  kinds  of  game  ?  Why  do  you 
always  stay  at  home,  instead  of  doing  as  they  do  ?  " 

One  day  he  said  to  her,  "  I  am  going  out  to-day  to  eat 
the  air." 

'^  Very  good,"  she  answered  ;  *'  go,  and  take  one  of  the 
horses." 

"  No,"  said  the  young  prince,  "  I  will  not  ride,  I  will 
walk."  Then  he  went  to  the  jungle-plain  where  he  had 
left  Katar,  who  all  this  time  had  seemed  to  be  a  donkey, 
and  he  told  Katar  everything.  "  Listen,"  he  said  ;  "  I  have 
married  the  youngest  princess  ;  and  when  we  were  married 
everybody  laughed  at  her  for  choosing  me,  and  said,  '  What 
a  very  poor,  common  man  our  princess  has  chosen  for  her 
husband  ! '  Besides,  my  wife  is  very  sad,  for  her  six  sisters' 
husbands  all  hunt  every  day,  and  bring  home  quantities  of 
game,  and  their  wives  therefore  are  very  proud  of  them. 
But  I  stay  at  home  all  day,  and  never  hunt.  To-day  I 
should  like  to  hunt  very  much." 


lyo  Indian   Fairy  Tales 


*^  Well,"  said  Katar,  ^'  then  twist  my  left  ear  ;"  and  as  soon 
as  the  boy  had  twisted  it,  Katar  was  a  horse  again,  and  not 
a  donkey  any  longer.  "  Now,"  said  Katar,  "  twist  your  left 
ear,  and  you  will  see  what  a  beautiful  young  prince  you  will 
become."  So  the  boy  twisted  his  own  left  ear,  and  there  he 
stood  no  longer  a  poor,  common,  ugly  man,  but  a  grand  young 
prince  with  a  moon  on  his  forehead  and  a  star  on  his  chin. 
Then  he  put  on  his  splendid  clothes,  saddled  and  bridled 
Katar,  got  on  his  back  with  his  sword  and  gun,  and  rode  off 
to  hunt. 

He  rode  ver}^  far,  and  shot  a  great  many  birds  and  a 
quantity  of  deer.  That  day  his  six  brothers-in-law  could 
find  no  game,  for  the  beautiful  young  prince  had  shot  it  all. 
Nearly  all  the  day  long  these  six  princes  wandered  about 
looking  in  vain  for  game ;  till  at  last  they  grew  hungry  and 
thirsty,  and  could  find  no  water,  and  they  had  no  food  with 
them.  Meanwhile  the  beautiful  young  prince  had  sat  down 
under  a  tree,  to  dine  and  rest,  and  there  his  six  brothers-in- 
law  found  him.  By  his  side  was  some  delicious  water,  and 
also  some  roast  meat. 

When  they  saw  him  the  six  princes  said  to  each  other, 
"  Look  at  that  handsome  prince.  He  has  a  moon  on  his 
forehead  and  a  star  on  his  chin.  We  have  never  seen  such 
a  prince  in  this  jungle  before ;  he  must  come  from  another 
country."  Then  they  came  up  to  him,  and  made  him  many 
salaams,  and  begged  him  to  give  them  some  food  and  water. 
"  Who  are  you  ?  "  said  the  young  prince.  "  W^e  are  the 
husbands  of  the  six  elder  daughters  of  the  King  of  this 
country,"  they  answered  ;  "  and  we  have  hunted  all  day,  and 
are  very  hungry  and  thirsty."  They  did  not  recognise  their 
brother-in-law  in  the  least. 


Boy  with  Moon  on   Forehead    171 


■^ning  to  eat  and  drink  if  you  will  do  as  I  bid  you."  '^  We 
will  do  all  you  tell  us  to  do,"  they  answered,  "  for  if  we  do 
not  get  water  to  drink,  we  shall  die."  '*  Very  good,"  said 
the  young  prince.  ''  Now  you  must  let  me  put  a  red-hot 
pice  on  the  back  of  each  of  you,  and  then  I  will  give  you 
food  and  water.  Do  you  agree  to  this  ?  "  The  six  princes 
consented,  for  they  thought,  "  No  one  will  ever  see  the 
mark  of  the  pice,  as  it  will  be  co  veered  by  our  clothes;  and 
we  shall  die  if  we  have  no  water  to  drink."  Then  the  young 
prince  took  six  pice,  and  made  them  red-hot  in  the  fire  ;  he 
laid  one  on  the  back  of  each  of  the  six  princes,  and  gave  them 
good  food  and  water.  They  ate  and  drank  ;  and  when  they 
had  finished  they  made  him  many  salaams  and  went  home. 

The  young  prince  sta^^ed  under  the  tree  till  it  was  evening  ; 
then  he  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  off*  to  the  King's 
palace.  All  the  people  looked  at  him  as  he  came  riding' 
along,  saying,  "  What  a  splendid  young  prince  that  is  !  He 
has  a  moon  on  his  forehead  and  a  star  on  his  chin."  But  no 
one  recognised  him.  When  he  came  near  the  King's  palace, 
all  the  King's  servants  asked  him  who  he  was  ;  and  as  none 
of  them  knew  him,  the  gate-keepers  would  not  let  him  pass 
in.  They  all  wondered  who  he  could  be,  and  all  thought 
him  the  most  beautiful  prince  that  had  ever  been  seen. 

At  last  they  asked  him  who  he  was.     "  I  am  the  husband 
of  your  youngest  princess,"  he  answered. 

'*  No,  no,  indeed  you  are   not,"  they  said  ;    "for  he  is  a 
poor,  common-looking,  and  ugly  man." 

"  But  I  am  he,"  answered  the  prince  ;  only  no  one  would 
believe  him. 

''  Tell  us  the  truth,"  said  the  servants  ;  '^  who  are  you  ?  " 


172  Indian   Fairy  Tales 


*'  Perhaps  you  cannot  recognise  me/'  said  the  young  prince, 
^'but  call  the  youngest  princess  here.  I  wish  to  speak  to 
her."  The  servants  called  her,  and  she  came.  ^*  That  man 
is  not  my  husband,"  she  said  at  once.  '^  My  husband  is  not 
nearly  as  handsome  as  that  man.  This  must  be  a  prince 
from  another  country." 

Then  she  said  to  him,  *'  Who  are  you  ?  Why  do  you  say 
you  are  my  husband  ?  " 

*'  Because  I  am  your  husband.  I  am  telling  you  the 
truth,"  answered  the  young  prince. 

^^  No  you  are  not,  you  are  not  telling  me  the  truth,"  said 
the  little  princess.  ^*My  husband  is  not  a  handsome  man 
like  you.      I  married  a  very  poor,  common-looking  man." 

"  That  is  true,"  he  answered,  ^*  but  nevertheless  I  am 
your  husband.  I  was  the  grain  merchant's  servant ;  and 
one  hot  night  I  went  into  your  father's  garden  and  sang,  and 
you  heard  me,  and  came  and  asked  me  who  I  was  and 
where  I  came  from,  and  I  would  not  answer  you.  And 
the  same  thing  happened  the  next  night,  and  the  next,  and 
on  the  fourth  I  told  you  I  was  a  very  poor  man,  and  had 
come  from  my  country  to  seek  service  in  yours,  and  that  I 
was  the  grain  merchant's  servant.  Then  you  told  your 
father  you  wished  to  marry,  but  must  choose  your  own 
husband  ;  and  when  all  the  Kings  and  Rajas  were  seated  in 
your  father's  garden,  you  sat  on  an  elephant  and  went  round 
and  looked  at  them  all  ;  and  then  twice  hung  your  gold 
necklace  round  my  neck,  and  chose  me.  See,  here  is  your 
necklace,  and  here  are  the  ring  and  the  handkerchief  you 
gave  me  on  our  wedding  day." 

Then  she  believed   him,  and  was  very  glad  that  her  hus- 
band was  such  a  beautiful  young  prince.      *'  What  a  strange 


I 


Boy  with  Moon  on  Forehead    173 


man  you  are  !  "  she  said  to  him.  ^'  Till  now  you  have  been 
poor,  and  ugly,  and  common-looking.  Now  you  are  beauti- 
ful and  look  like  a  prince  ;  I  never  saw  such  a  handsome 
man  as  you  are  before  ;  and  yet  I  know  you  must  be  my  hus- 
band." Then  she  worshipped  God  and  thanked  him  for 
letting  her  have  such  a  husband.  "  I  have,"  she  said,  *'  a 
beautiful  husband.  There  is  no  one  Hke  him  in  this  country. 
He  has  a  moon  on  his  forehead  and  a  star  on  his  chin." 
Then  she  took  him  into  the  palace,  and  showed  him  to  her 
father  and  mother  and  to  every  one.  They  all  said  they  had 
never  seen  any  one  like  him,  and  were  all  very  happy.  And 
the  young  prince  lived  as  before  in  the  King's  palace  with  his 
wife,  and  Katar  lived  in  the  King's  stables. 

One  day,  when  the  King  and  his  seven  sons-in-law  were 
in  his  court-house,  and  it  was  full  of  people,  the  young  prince 
said  to  him,  ^'  There  are  six  thieves  here  in  your  court-house." 
"  Six  thieves  !  "  said  the  King.  '^  Where  are  they  ?  Show 
them  to  me."  *'  There  they  are,"  said  the  young  prince, 
pointing  to  his  six  brothers-in-law.  The  King  and  every 
one  else  in  the  court-house  were  very  much  astonished,  and 
would  not  believe  the  young  prince.  ''  Take  off  their  coats," 
he  said,  **  and  then  you  will  see  for  yourselves  that  each  of 
them  has  the  mark  of  a  thief  on  his  back."  So  their  coats 
were  taken  off  the  six  princes,  and  the  King  and  everybody 
in  the  court-house  saw  the  mark  of  the  red-hot  pice.  The 
six  princes  were  very  much  ashamed,  but  the  young  prince 
was  very  glad.  He  had  not  forgotten  how  his  brothers-in- 
law  had  laughed  at  him  and  mocked  him  when  he  seemed  a 
poor,  common  man. 

Now,  when  Katar  was  still  in  the  jungle,  before  the  prince 
was  married,  he  had  told  the   boy  the  whole   story  of  his 


174  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

birth,  and  all  that  had  happened  to  him  and  his  mother. 
*'  When  you  are  married,"  he  said  to  him,  ''  I  will  take  you 
back  to  your  father's  country."  So  two  months  after  the 
young  prince  had  revenged  himself  on  his  brothers-in-law, 
Katar  said  to  him,  "  It  is  time  for  you  to  return  to  your  father. 
Get  the  King  to  let  you  go  to  your  own  country,  and  I  will 
tell  you  what  to  do  when  we  get  there." 

The  prince  always  did  what  his  horse  told  him  to  do  ;  so 
he  went  to  his  wife  and  said  to  her,  *'  I  wish  very  much  to 
go  to  my  own  country  to  see  my  father  and  mother."  "  Very 
well,"  said  his  wife  ;  "I  will  tell  my  father  and  mother,  and 
ask  them  to  let  us  go."  Then  she  went  to  them,  and  told 
them,  and  they  consented  to  let  her  and  her  husband  leave 
them.  The  King  gave  his  daughter  and  the  young  prince 
a  great  many  horses,  and  elephants,  and  all  sorts  of  presents, 
and  also  a  great  many  sepoys  to  guard  them.  In  this  grand 
state  they  travelled  to  the  prince's  country,  which  was  not  a 
great  many  miles  off.  When  they  reached  it  the}^  pitched 
their  tents  on  the  same  plain  in  which  the  prince  had  been 
left  in  his  box  by  the  nurse,  where  Shankar  and  Suri  had 
swallowed  him  so  often. 

When  the  King,  his  father,  the  gardener's  daughter's  hus- 
band, saw  the  prince's  camp,  he  was  very  much  alarmed, 
and  thought  a  great  King  had  come  to  make  war  on  him. 
He  sent  one  of  his  servants,  therefore,  to  ask  whose  camp 
it  was.  The  young  prince  then  wrote  him  a  letter,  in  which 
he  said,  "You  are  a  great  King.  Do  not  fear  me.  I  am 
not  come  to  make  war  on  you.  I  am  as  if  I  were  your  son. 
I  am  a  prince  who  has  come  to  see  your  country  and  to 
speak  with  you.  I  wish  to  give  you  a  grand  feast,  to  which 
every  one  in  your  country  must  come — men  and  women,  old 


I 


Boy  with  Moon  on   Forehead   175 


and  young,  rich  and  poor,  of  all  castes  ;  all  the  children, 
fakirs,  and  sepoys.  You  must  bring  them  all  here  to  me 
for  a  week,  and  I  will  feast  them  all." 

The  King  was  delighted  with  this  letter,  and  ordered  all 
the  men,  women,  and  children  of  all  castes,  fakirs,  and  sepoys, 
in  his  country  to  go  to  the  prince's  camp  to  a  grand  feast  the 
prince  would  give  them.  So  they  all  came,  and  the  King 
brought  his  four  wives  too.  All  came,  at  least  all  but  the 
gardener's  daughter.  No  one  had  told  her  to  go  to  the 
feast,  for  no  one  had  thought  of  her. 

When  all  the  people  were  assembled,  the  prince  saw  his 
mother  was  not  there,  and  he  asked  the  King,  *^  Has  every 
one  in  your  country  come  to  my  feast  ?  " 

'•  Yes,  every  one,"  said  the  King. 

*'  Are  you  sure  of  that  ?  "  asked  the  prince. 

"  Quite  sure,"  answered  the  King. 

"  I  am  sure  one  woman  has  not  come,"  said  the  prince. 
*'  She  is  your  gardener's  daughter,  who  was  once  your  wife 
and  is  now  a  servant  in  your  palace." 

**  True,"  said  the  King,  "  I  had  forgotten  her."  Then 
the  prince  told  his  servants  to  take  his  finest  palanquin  and 
to  fetch  the  gardener's  daughter.  They  were  to  bathe  her, 
dress  her  in  beautiful  clothes  and  handsome  jewels,  and  then 
bring  her  to  him  in  the  palanquin. 

While  the  servants  w^ere  bringing  the  gardener's  daughter, 
the  King  thought  how  handsome  the  young  prince  was  ;  and 
he  noticed  particularly  the  moon  on  his  forehead  and  the 
star  on  his  chin,  and  he  wondered  in  what  country  the  young 
prince  was  born. 

And  now  the  palanquin  arrived  bringing  the  gardener's 
daughter,  and  the  young  prince  went  himself  and  took  her 

M 


176  Indian  Fairy  Tales 


out  of  it,  and  brought  her  into  the  tent.  He  made  her  a 
great  many  salaams.  The  four  wicked  wives  looked  on  and 
were  very  much  surprised  and  very  angry.  They  remem- 
bered that,  when  they  arrived,  the  prince  had  made  them 
no  salaams,  and  since  then  had  not  taken  the  least  notice  of 
them ;  whereas  he  could  not  do  enough  for  the  gardener's 
daughter,  and  seemed  very  glad  to  see  her. 

When  they  were  all  at  dinner,  the  prince  again  made  the 
gardener's  daughter  a  great  many  salaams,  and  gave  her 
food  from  all  the  nicest  dishes.  She  wondered  at  his  kind- 
ness to  her,  and  thought,  "Who  is  this  handsome  prince, 
with  a  moon  on  his  forehead  and  a  star  on  his  chin  ?  I 
never  saw  any  one  so  beautiful.  What  country  does  he  come 
from  ?  " 

Two  or  three  days  were  thus  passed  in  feasting,  and  all 
that  time  the  King  and  his  people  were  talking  about  the 
prince's  beauty,  and  wondering  who  he  was. 

One  day  the  prince  asked  the  King  if  he  had  any  children. 
*'  None,"  he  answered. 

**Do  you  know  who  I  am  ?  "  asked  the  prince. 

*'  No,"  said  the  King.      "  Tell  me  who  you  are." 

"  I  am  your  son,"  answered  the  prince,  "  and  the  gardener's 
daughter  is  my  mother.'' 

The  King  shook  his  head  sadly.  *'  How  can  you 
'be  my  son,"  he  said,  ^'  when  I  have  never  had  any 
children  ?  " 

^*  But  I  am  your  son,"  answered  the  prince.  **  Your  four 
wicked  Queens  told  you  the  gardener's  daughter  had  given 
you  a  stone  and  not  a  son  ;  but  it  was  they  who  put  the  stone 
in  my  little  bed,  and  then  they  tried  to  kill  me." 

The   King  did  not  believe  him.      "  I  wish  you  were  my 


I 


Boy  with  Moon  on   Forehead   177 


son,"  he  said  ;  but  as  I  never  had  a  child,  you  cannot  be  my 
son."  '*  Do  you  remember  your  dog  Shankar,  and  how  you 
had  him  killed  ?  And  do  you  remember  your  cow  Suri,  and 
how  you  had  her  killed  too  ?  Your  wives  made  you  kill 
them  because  of  me.  And,"  he  said,  taking  the  King  to 
Katar,  "  do  you  know  whose  horse  that  is  ?  " 

The  King  looked  at  Katar,  and  then  said,  *'  That  is  my 
horse  Katar."  "Yes,"  said  the  prince.  "Do  you  not 
remember  how  he  rushed  past  you  out  of  his  stable  with  me 
on  his  back  ?  "  Then  Katar  told  the  King  the  prince  was 
really  his  son,  and  told  him  all  the  story  of  his  birth,  and  of 
his  Hfe  up  to  that  moment ;  and  when  the  King  found  the 
beautiful  prince  was  indeed  his  son,  he  was  so  glad,  so  glad. 
He  put  his  arms  round  him  and  kissed  him  and  cried 
for  joy. 

"  Now,"  said  the  King,  "you  must  come  with  me  to  my 
palace,  and  live  with  me  always." 

''  No,"  said  the  prince,  "that  I  cannot  do.  I  cannot  go 
to  your  palace.  1  only  came  here  to  fetch  my  mother ;  and 
now  that  I  have  found  her,  I  will  take  her  with  me  to  my 
father-in-law's  palace.  1  have  married  a  King's  daughter, 
and  we  live  with  her  father." 

"  But  now  that  I  have  found  you,  I  cannot  let  you  go,"  said 
his  father.  You  and  your  wife  must  come  and  live  with 
your  mother  and  me  in  my  palace  " 

"  That  we  will  never  do,"  said  the  prince,  "  unless  you 
will  kill  your  four  wicked  Queens  with  your  own  hand.  If 
you  will  do  that,  we  will  come  and  live  with  you." 

So  the  King  killed  his  Queens,  and  then  he  and  his  wife, 
the  gardener's  daughter,  and  the  prince  and  his  wife,  all 
went  to  live  in   the  King's  palace,  and  lived  there  happily 


178  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

together  for  ever  after  ;  and  the  King  thanked  God  for  giving 
him  such  a  beautiful  son,  and  for  ridding  him  of  his  four 
wicked  wives. 

Katar  did   not  return   to  the  fairies'  country,  but  stayed 
always  with  the  young  prince,  and  never  left  him. 


The  Prince  and  the  Fakir 


1 

^ 

i 

-l^^^p 

,-?> 

— r^  1 

^                                         1 

HERE  was  once  upon  a  time  a 
King  who  had  no  children.  Now 
this  King  went  and  laid  him 
down  to  rest  at  a  place  where 
four  roads  met,  so  that  every 
one  who  passed  had  to  step 
over  him. 

At  last  a  Fakir  came  along, 
and  he  said  to  the  King,  ''Man, 
why  are  3'ou  lying  here  ?  " 

He   replied,    *'  Fakir,   a   thousand  men   have   come   and 
passed  by  ;  you  pass  on  too." 

But  the  Fakir  said,  ^*  Who  are  you,  man  ?  " 
The  King  replied,  '*  I  am  a  King,  Fakir.  Of  goods  and 
gold  I  have  no  lack,  but  I  have  lived  long  and  have  no 
children.  So  I  have  come  here,  and  have  laid  me  down  at 
the  cross-roads.  My  sins  and  offences  have  been  very 
many,  so  I  have  come  and  am  lying  here  that  men  may 
pass  over  me,  and  perchance  my  sins  may  be  forgiven  me, 
and  God  may  be  merciful,  and  I  may  have  a  son." 


i8o 


Indian   Fairy  Tales 


The   Fakir   answered    him,    *'  Oh   King  !      If  you    have 
children,  what  will  you  give  me  ?  " 

''  Whatever  you  ask,  Fakir,"  answered  the  King. 

The  Fakir  said, 
"  Of  goods  and  gold 
I  have  no  lack, 
but  I  will  say  a 
prayer  for  you,  and 
you  will  have  two 
sons ;  one  of  those 
sons  will  be  mine." 

Then  he  took  out 
two  sweetmeats  and 
handed  them  to  the 
King,  and  said, 
**  King  !   take  these 


and 


•  two  sweetmeats 
and  give  them  to 
your  wives;  give 
them  to  the  wives 
you  love  best." 

put   them    in    his 


The  King    took  the  sweetmeats 
bosom. 

Then  the  Fakir  said,  ''  King !  in  a  year  I  will  return, 
and  of  the  two  sons  who  will  be  born  to  you  one  is  mine 
and  one  yours." 


The  Prince  and  the   Fakir      i8i 


I  The  King  said,  ''  Well,  I  agree." 
Then  the  Fakir  went  on  his  way,  and  the  King  came 
me  and  gave  one  sweetmeat  to  each  of  his  two  wives. 
After  some  time  two  sons  were  born  to  the  King.  Then 
what  did  the  King  do  but  place  those  two  sons 
in  an  underground  room,  which  he  had  built  in  the 
earth. 

Some  time  passed,  and  one  day  the  Fakir  appeared,  and 
said,  "  King  !  bring  me  that  son  of  yours  !  " 

What  did  the  King  do  but  bring  two  slave-girls'  sons 
and  present  them  to  the  Fakir.  While  the  Fakir  was 
sitting  there  the  King's  sons  were  sitting  down  below  in 
their  cellar  eating  their  food.  Just  then  a  hungry  ant  had 
carried  away  a  grain  of  rice  from  their  food,  and  was  going 
along  with  it  to  her  children.  Another  stronger  ant  came 
up  and  attacked  her  in  order  to  get  this  grain  of  rice.  The 
first  ant  said,  ''  O  ant,  why  do  you  drag  this  away  from 
me  ?  I  have  long  been  lame  in  my  feet,  and  I  have  got  just 
one  grain,  and  am  carrying  it  to  my  children.  The  King's 
sons  are  sitting  in  the  cellar  eating  their  food  ;  you  go  and 
fetch  a  grain  from  there ;  why  should  you  take  mine  from 
me  ?  "  On  this  the  second  ant  let  go  and  did  not  rob 
the  first,  but  went  off  to  where  the  King's  sons  were  eating 
their  food.  . 

On  hearing  this  the  Fakir  said,  *'  King !  these  are  not 
.    your  sons  ;  go    and   bring   those   children   who   are  eating 
their  food  in  the  cellar." 

Then  the  King  went  and  brought  his  own  sons.  The 
Fakir  chose  the  eldest  son  and  took  him  away,  and  set  off 
with  him  on  his  journey.  When  he  got  home  he  told  the 
King's  son  to  go  out  to  gather  fuel. 


1 82  Indian  Fairy  Tales 

So  the  King's  son  went  out  to  gather  cow-dung,  and 
when  he  had  collected  some  he  brought  it  in. 

Then  the  Fakir  looked  at  the  King's  son  and  put  on  a 
great  pot,  and  said,  *'  Come  round  here,  my  pupil." 

But  the  King's  son  said,  ''Master  first,  and  pupil  after." 

The  Fakir  told  him  to  come  once,  he  told  him  twice,  he 
told  him  three  times,  and  each  time  the  King's  son  answered, 
"  Master  first,  and  pupil  after." 

Then  the  Fakir  made  a  dash  at  the  King's  son,  thinking 
to  catch  him  and  throw  him  into  the  caldron.  There 
were  about  a  hundred  gallons  of  oil  in  this  caldron,  and 
the  fire  was  burning  beneath  it.  Then  the  King's  son^ 
Hfting  the  Fakir,  gave  him  a  jerk  and  threw  him  into  the 
caldron,  and  he  was  burnt,  and  became  roast  meat.  He 
then  saw  a  key  of  the  Fakir's  lying  there ;  he  took  this  key 
and  opened  the  door  of  the  Fakir's  house.  Now  many  men 
were  locked  up  in  this  house  ;  two  horses  were  standing 
there  in  a  hut  of  the  Fakir's  ;  two  greyhounds  were  tied  up 
there ;  two  simurgs  were  imprisoned,  and  two  tigers  also 
stood  there.  So  the  King's  son  let  all  the  creatures  go, 
and  took  them  out  of  the  house,  and  they  all  returned 
thanks  to  God.  Next  he  let  out  all  the  men  who  were  in 
prison.  He  took  away  with  him  the  two  horses,  and  he 
took  away  the  two  tigers,  and  he  took  away  the  two  hounds, 
and  he  took  away  the  two  simurgs,  and  with  them  he  set 
out  for  another  country. 

As  he  went  along  the  road  he  saw  above  him  a  bald 
man,  grazing  a  herd  of  calves,  and  this  bald  man  called  out 
to  him,  "  Fellow  !  can  you  fight  at  all  ?  " 

The  King's  son  replied,  "  When  I  was  little  I  could 
fight  a   bit,    and    now,    if  any    one   wants    to  fight,   I  am 


I 


The  Prince  and  the   Fakir      183 


not  so  unmanly  as   to  turn   my  back.      Come,   I  will   fight 
you." 

The  bald  man  said,  *^  If  I  throw  you,  you  shall  be  my 
slave  ;  and  if  you  throw  me,  I  will  be  your  slave."  So 
they  got  ready  and  began  to  fight,  and  the  King's  son 
threw  him. 

On  this  the  King's  son  said,  ^'  I  will  leave  my  beasts 
here,  my  simurgs,  tigers,  and  dogs,  and  horses  ;  they  will 
all  stay  here  while  I  go  to  the  city  to  see  the  sights.  I 
appoint  the  tiger  as  guard  over  my  property.  And  you  are 
my  slave,  you,  too,  must  stay  here  with  my  belongings." 
So  the  King's  son  started  off  to  the  city  to  see  the  sights, 
and  arrived  at  a  pool. 

He  saw  that  it  was  a  pleasant  pool,  and  thought  he 
would  stop  and  bathe  there,  and  therewith  he  began  to 
strip  off  his  clothes. 

Now  the  King's  daughter,  who  was  sitting  on  the  roof 
of  the  palace,  saw  his  royal  marks,  and  she  said,  **  This 
man  is  a  king  ;  when  I  marry,  I  will  marry  him  and  no 
other."  So  she  said  to  her  father,  "  My  father ;  I  wish  to 
marry." 

'^  Good,"  said  her  father. 

Then  the  King  made  a  proclamation  :  *'  Let  all  men,  great 
and  small,  attend  to-day  in  the  hall  of  audience,  for  the 
King's  daughter  will  to-day  take  a  husband." 

All  the  men  of  the  land  assembled,  and  the  traveller 
Prince  also  came,  dressed  in  the  Fakir's  clothes,  saying  to 
himself,  "  I  must  see  this  ceremony  to-day."  He  went  in 
and  sat  down. 

The  King's  daughter  came  out  and  sat  in  the  balcony, 
and  cast  her  glance  round   all  the   assembly.      She.  noticed 


184  Indian   Fairy  Tales 


that  the  traveller  Prince  was  sitting  in  the  assembly  in 
Fakir's  attire. 

The  Princess  said  to  her  handmaiden,  "  Take  this  dish 
of  henna,  go  to  that  traveller  dressed  like  a  Fakir,  and 
sprinkle  scent  on  him  from  the  dish." 

The  handmaiden  obeyed  the  Princess's  order,  went  to 
him,  and  sprinkled  the  scent  over  him. 

Then  the  people  said,  ''  The  slave-girl  has  made  a  mis- 
take." 

But  she  replied,  ^^The  slave-girl  has  made  no  mistake, 
'tis  her  mistress  has  made  the  mistake." 

On  this  the  King  married  his  daughter  to  the  Fakir,  who 
was  reall}^  no  Fakir,  but  a  Prince. 

What  fate  had  decreed  came  to  pass  in  that  country,  and 
they  were  married.  But  the  King  of  that  city  became  very 
sad  in  his  heart,  because  when  so  many  chiefs  and  nobles 
were  sitting  there  his  daughter  had  chosen  none  of  them, 
but  had  chosen  that  Fakir  ;  but  he  kept  these  thoughts  con- 
cealed in  his  heart. 

One  day  the  traveller  Prince  said,  "  Let  all  the  King's 
sons-in-law  come  out  with  me  to-day  to  hunt." 

People  said,  ^'  What  is  this  Fakir  that  he  should  go 
a-hunting  ?  " 

'However,  they  all  set  out  for  the  hunt,  and  fixed  their 
meeting-place  at  a  certain  pool. 

The  newly  married  Prince  went  to  his  tigers,  and  told  his 
tigers  and  hounds  to  kill  and  bring  in  a  great  number  of 
gazelles  and  hog-deer  and  markhor.  Instantly  they  killed 
and  brought  in  a  great  number.  Then  taking  with  him 
these  spoils  of  the  chase,  the  Prince  came  to  the  pool  settled 
on  as  a  meeting-place.      The  other  Princes,  sons-in-law  of 


I 


The  Prince  and  the   Fakir      185 


the  King  of  that  city,  also  assembled  there  ;  but  they  had 
brought  in  no  game,  and  the  new  Prince  had  brought  a 
great  deal.  Thence  they  returned  home  to  the  town,  and 
went  to  the  King  their  father-in-law,  to  present  their  game. 
Now  that  King  had  no  son.  Then  the  new  Prince  told 
him  that  in  fact  he,  too,  was  a  Prince.  At  this  the  King, 
his  father-in-law,  was  greatly  delighted  and  took  him  by 
the  hand  and  embraced  him.  He  seated  him  by  himself, 
saying,  *'  O  Prince,  I  return  thanks  that  you  have  come 
here  and  become  my  son-in-law  ;  I  am  very  happy  at  this, 
and  I  make  over  my  kingdom  to  you." 


Why  the   Fish   Laughed. 


S  a  certain  fisherwoman  passed  by  a  palace 
crying  her  fish,  the  queen  appeared  at 
one  of  the  windows  and  beckoned  her  to 
come  near  and  show  what  she  had.  At 
that  moment  a  very  big  fish  jumped  about 
in  the  bottom  of  the  basket. 
"Is  it  a  he  or  a  she?  "  inquired  the  queen.  "I  wish 
to  purchase  a  she  fish." 

On  hearing  this  the  fish  laughed  aloud. 
^^  It's    a   he,"    replied    the    fisherwoman,  and    proceeded 
on  her  rounds. 

The  queen  returned  to  her  room  in  a  great  rage  ;  and  on 
coming  to  see  her  in  the  evening,  the  king  noticed  that 
something  had  disturbed  her. 

'^  Are  you  indisposed  ?  "  he  said. 

"  No ;  but  I  am  very  much  annoyed  at  the  strange 
behaviour  of  a  fish.  A  woman  brought  me  one  to-day, 
and  on  my  inquiring  whether  it  was  a  male  or  female,  the 
fish  laughed  most  rudely." 


why  the   Fish   Laughed         187 

"  A  fish  laugh  !      Impossible  !      You  must  be  dreaming." 

"  I  am  not  a  fool.  I  speak  of  what  I  have  seen  with  my 
own  eyes  and  have  heard  with  my  own  ears." 

*^  Passing  strange  !  Be  it  so.  I  will  inquire  concern- 
ing it." 

On  the  morrow  the  king  repeated  to  his  vizier  what  his 
wife  had  told  him,  and  bade  him  investigate  the  matter,  and 
be  ready  with  a  satisfactory  answer  within  six  months,  on 
pam_qf^  death.  The  vizier  promised  to  do  his  best,  though 
he  felt  almost  certain  of  failure.  For  five  months  he 
laboured  indefatigably  to  find  a  reason  for  the  laughter  of 
the  fish.  He  sought  everywhere  and  from  every  one. 
The  wise  and  learned,  and  they  who  were  skilled  in  magic 
and  in  all  manner  of  trickery,  were  consulted.  '  Nobody, 
however,  could  explain  the  matter ;  and  so  he  returned 
broken-hearted  to  his  house,  and  began  to  arrange  his 
affairs  in  prospect  of  certain  death,  for  he  had  had  sufficient 
experience  of  the  king  to  know  that  His  Majesty  would  not 
go  back  from  his  threat.  Amongst  other  things,  he  advised 
his  son  to  travel  for  a  time,  until  the  king's  anger  should 
have  somewhat  cooled. 

The  young  fellow,  who  was  both  clever  and  handsome, 
started  off*  whithersoever  Kismat  might  lead  him.  He  had 
been  gone  some  days,  when  he  fell  in  with  an  old  farmer, 
who  also  was  on  a  journey  to  a  certain  village.  Finding 
the  old  man  very  pleasant,  he  asked  him  if  he  might  accom- 
pany him,  professing  to  be  on  a  visit  to  the  same  place. 
The  old  farmer  agreed,  and  they  walked  along  together. 
The  day  was  hot,  and  the  way  was  long  and  weary. 

"  Don't  you  think  it  would  be  pleasanter  if  you  and  I 
sometimes  gave  one  another  a  lift  ?  "  said  the  youth. 


1 88  Indian   Fairy   Tales 

*'  What  a  fool  the  man  is!  "  thought  the  old  farmer. 

Presently  they  passed  through  a  field  of  corn  ready  for 
the  sickle,  and  looking  like  a  sea  of  gold  as  it  waved  to  and 
fro  in  the  breeze. 

''  Is  this  eaten  or  not  ?  "  said  the  young  man. 

Not  understanding  his  meaning,  the  old  man  replied, 
'*!  don't  know." 

After  a  little  while  the  two  travellers  arrived  at  a  big 
village,  where  the  young  man  gave  his  companion  a  clasp- 
knife,  and  said,  *^  Take  this,  friend,  and  get  two  horses  with 
it  ;   but  mind  and  bring  it  back,  for  it  is  very  precious." 

The  old  man,  looking  half  amused  and  half  angry,  pushed 
back  the  knife,  muttering  something  to  the  effect  that  his 
friend  was  either  a  fool  himself  or  else  trying  to  play  the 
fool  with  him.  The  young  man  pretended  not  to  notice  his 
reply,  and  remained  almost  silent  till  they  reached  the  city, 
a  short  distance  outside  which  was  the  old  farmer's  house. 
They  walked  about  the  bazar  and  went  to  the  mosque,  but 
nobody  saluted  them  or  invited  them  to  come  in  and  rest. 

'^  What  a  large  cemetery !  "  exclaimed  the  young  man. 

''  What  does  the  man  mean,"  thought  the  old  farmer, 
"  calling  this  largely  populated  city  a  cemetery  ?  " 

On  leaving  the  city  their  way  led  through  a  cemetery 
where  a  few  people  were  praying  beside  a  grave  and  dis- 
tributing chapatis  and  kulchas  to  passers-by,  in  the  name 
of  their  beloved  dead.  They  beckoned  to  the  two  travellers 
and  gave  them  as  much  as  they  would. 

''What  a  splendid  city  this  is  !  "  said  the  young  man. 

'*Now,  the  man  must  surely  be  demented ! "  thought  the 
old  farmer.  "  I  wonder  what  he  will  do  next  ?  He  will 
be  calling  the  land  water,   and    the   water   land  ;  and   be 


I 


Why  the   Fish   Laughed         189 


speaking  of  light  where  there  is  darkness,  and  of  darkness 
when  it  is  light."  However,  he  kept  his  thoughts  to  him- 
self. 

Presently  they  had  to  wade  through  a  stream  that  ran 
along  the  edge  of  the  cemetery.  The  water  was  rather 
deep,  so  the  old  farmer  took  off  his  shoes  and  paijamas  and 
crossed  over ;  but  the  young  man  waded  through  it  with 
his  shoes  and  paijamas  on. 

^*Well !  I  never  did  see  such  a  perfect  fool,  both  in  word 
and  in  deed,"  said  the  old  man  to  himself. 

However,  he  liked  the  fellow ;  and  thinking  that  he 
would  amuse  his  wife  and  daughter,  he  invited  him  to 
come  and  stay  at  his  house  as  long  as  he  had  occasion  to 
remain  in  the  village. 

"  Thank  you  very  much,"  the  young  man  replied  ;  "  but 
let  me  first  inquire,  if  you  please,  whether  the  beam  of  your 
house  is  strong." 

The  old  farmer  left  him  in  despair,  and  entered  his  house 
laughing. 

*^  There  is  a  man  in  yonder  field,"  he  said,  after  returning 
their  greetings.  ^^  He  has  come  the  greater  part  of  the 
way  with  me,  and  I  wanted  him  to  put  up  here  as  long  as 
he  had  to  stay  in  this  village.  But  the  fellow  is  such  a 
fool  that  I  cannot  make  anything  out  of  him.  He  wants  to 
know  if  the  beam  of  this  house  is  all  right.  The  man 
must  be  mad  ! "  and  saying  this,  he  burst  into  a  fit  of 
laughter. 

**  Father,"  said  the  farmer's  daughter,  who  was  a  very 
sharp  and  wise  girl,  ^'  this  man,  whosoever  he  is,  is  no  fool, 
as  you  deem  him.  He  only  wishes  to  know  if  you  can 
afford  to  entertain  him." 


I  go  Indian   Fairy  Tales 


**Oh!  of  course,"  replied  the  farmer.  ^' I  see.  Well 
perhaps  you  can  help  me  to  solve  some  of  his  other 
mysteries.  While  we  were  walking  together  he  asked 
whether  he  should  carry  me  or  I  should  carry  him,  as  he 
thought  that  would  be  a  pleasanter  mode  of  proceeding." 

**  Most  assuredly,"  said  the  girl.  ''He  meant  that  one  of 
you  should  tell  a  story  to  beguile  the  time." 

"  Oh  yes.  Well,  we  were  passing  through  a  corn-field, 
when  he  asked  me  whether  it  was  eaten  or  not." 

*'  And  didn't  you  know  the  meaning  of  this,  father  ? 
He  simply  wished  to  know  if  the  man  was  in  debt  or  not  ; 
because,  if  the  owner  of  the  field  was  in  debt,  then  the 
produce  of  the  field  was  as  good  as  eaten  to  him  ;  that  is, 
it  would  have  to  go  to  his  creditors." 

*'  Yes,  yes,  yes ;  of  course  !  Then,  on  entering  a  certain 
village,  he  bade  me  take  his  clasp  knife  and  get  two  horses 
with  it,  and  bring  back  the  knife  again  to  him." 

*'  Are  not  two  stout  sticks  as  good  as  two  horses  for 
helping  one  along  on  the  road  ?  He  only  asked  you  to 
cut  a  couple  of  sticks  and  be  careful  not  to  lose  his  knife." 

"  I  see,"  said  the  farmer.  ''  While  we  were  walking 
over  the  city  we  did  not  see  anybody  that  we  knew,  and 
not  a  soul  gave  us  a  scrap  of  anything  to  eat,  till  we  were 
passing  the  cemetery  ;  but  there  some  people  called  to  us 
and  put  into  our  hands  some  chapatis  and  kulchas  ;  so  my 
companion  called  the  city  a  cemetery,  and  the  cemetery  a 
city." 

**  This  also  is  to  be  understood,  father,  if  one  thinks  of 
the  city  as  the  place  where  everything  is  to  be  obtained, 
and  of  inhospitable  people  as  worse  than  the  dead.  The 
city,  though  crowded  with  people,  was  as  if  dead,  as  far  as 


the   Fish  Laughed         igi 


you  were  concerned  ;  while,  in  the  cemetery,  which  is 
crowded  with  the  dead,  you  were  saluted  by  kind  friends 
and  provided  with  bread." 

"  True,  true  !  "  said  the  astonished  farmer.  ''  Then,  just 
now,  when  we  were  crossing  the  stream,  he  waded  through 
it  without  taking  off  his  shoes  and  paijamas." 

''  I  admire  his  wisdom,"  replied  the  girl.  '*  I  have  often 
thought  how  stupid  people  were  to  venture  into  that  swiftly 
flowing  stream  and  over  those  sharp  stones  with  bare  feet. 
The  slightest  stumble  and  they  would  fall,  and  be 
wetted  from  head  to  foot.  This  friend  of  yours  is  a 
most  wise  man.  I  should  like  to  see  him  and  speak 
to  him." 

<<  Very  well,"  said  the  farmer  ;  "  I  will  go  and  find  him, 
and  bring  him  in." 

^^  Tell  him,  father,  that  our  beams  are  strong  enough, 
and  then  he  will  come  in.  I'll  send  on  ahead  a  present 
to  the  man,  to  show  him  that  we  can  afford  to  have  him  for 
our  guest." 

Accordingly  she  called  a  servant  and  sent  him  to  the 
young  man  with  a  present  of  a  basin  of  ghee,  twelve 
chapatis,  and  a  jar  of  milk,  and  the  following  message  : — 
"  O  friend,  the  moon  is  full ;  twelve  months  make  a  year, 
and  the  sea  is  overflowing  with  water." 

Half-way  the  bearer  of  this  present  and  message  met 
hjs  little  son,  who,  seeing  what  was  in  the  basket,  begged 
his  father  to  give  him  some  of  the  food.  His  father 
foolishly  complied.  Presently  he  saw  the  young  man,  and 
gave  him  the  rest  of  the  present  and  the  message. 

''  Give  3^our  mistress  my  salam,"  he  replied,  '*  and  tell 
her    that    the    moon    is    new,    and    that    I    can   only   find 

N 


192  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

eleven    months  in  the   year,   and  the   sea   is  by  no  means 
full." 

Not  understanding  the  meaning  of  these  words,  the 
servant  repeated  them  word  for  word,  as  he  had  heard 
them,  to  his  mistress  ;  and  thus  his  theft  was  discovered, 
and  he  was  severely  punished.  After  a  little  while  the 
young  man  appeared  with  the  old  farmer.  Great  attention 
was  shown  to  him,  and  he  was  treated  in  every  way  as  if 
he  were  the  son  of  a  great  man,  although  his  humble  host 
knew  nothing  of  his  origin.  At  length  he  told  them  every- 
thing— about  the  laughing  of  the  fish,  his  father's  threatened 
execution,  and  his  own  banishment — and  asked  their  advice 
as  to  what  he  should  do. 

'^  The  laughing  of  the  fish,"  said  the  girl,  '*  which 
seems  to  have  been  the  cause  of  all  this  trouble,  indicates 
that  there  is  a  man  in  the  palace  who  is  plotting  against  the 
king's  life." 

"Joy,  joy  !  "  exclaimed  the  vizier's  son.  ^'  There  is  yet 
time  for  me  to  return  and  save  my  father  from  an  igno- 
minious and  unjust  death,  and  the  king  from  danger." 

The  following  day  he  hastened  back  to  his  own  country, 
taking  with  him  the  farmer's  daughter.  Immediately  on 
arrival  he  ran  to  the  palace  and  informed  his  father  of 
what  he  had  heard.  The  poor  vizier,  now  almost  dead 
from  the  expectation  of  death,  was  at  once  carried  to  the 
king,  to  whom  he  repeated  the  news  that  his  son  had  just 
brought. 

"  Never  !  "  said  the  king. 

*'  But  it  must  be  so.  Your  Majesty,"  replied  the  vizier  ; 
"and  in  order  to  prove  the  truth  of  what  I  have  heard,  I 
pray  you  to  call  together  all  the  maids  in  your  palace,  and 


why  the  Fish  Laughed         193 

order  them  to  jump  over  a  pit,  which  must  be  dug.      We'll 
soon  find  out  whether  there  is  any  man  there." 

The    king    had    the    pit    dug,   and   commanded    all    the 
maids   belonging  to  the  palace  to  try  to  jump  it.      All  of 


them  tried,  but  only  one  succeeded.  That  one  was  found 
to  be  a  man  ! ! 

Thus  was  the  queen  satisfied,  and  the  faithful  old  vizier 
saved. 

Afterwards,  as  soon  as  could  be,  the  vizier's  son  married 
the  old  farmer's  daughter ;  and  a  most  happy  marriage 
it  was. 


The  Demon  with  the  Matted 
Hair 


HIS  story  the  Teacher  told  in  Jetavana 
about  a  Brother  who  had  ceased  striving 
after  righteousness.  Said  the  Teacher  to 
him  :  '^  Is  it  ideally  true  that  you  have 
ceased  all  striving?" — ^^  Yes,  Blessed 
One^^  he  replied.  Then  the  Teacher 
said:  '' O  Brother,  in  former  days  wise  men  made  effort  in 
the  place  where  effort  should  be  made,  and  so  attained  unto 
royal  power. '^     And  he  told  a  story  of  long  ago. 


Once  upon  a  time,  when  Brahmadatta  was  King  of 
Benares,  the  Bodhisatta  was  born  as  son  of  his  chief  queen. 
On  his  name-day  they  asked  800  Brahmans,  having  satisfied 
them  with  all  their  desires,  about  his  lucky  marks.  The 
Brahmans  who  had  skill  in  divining  from  such  marks  be- 
held the  excellence  of  his,  and  made  answer  : 

^'Full  of  goodness,  great  King,  is  your  son,  and  when 
you  die  he  will  become  king  ;  he  shall   be  famous  and  re- 


I 


Demon  with  the  Matted  Hair   195 


wned  for  his  skill  with  the  five  weapons,  and  shall  be  the 
chief  man  in  all  India.  On  hearing  what  the  Brahmans 
had  to  say,  they  gave  him  the  name  of  the   Prince  of  the 

IM|ive  Weapons,  sword,  spear,  bow,  battle-axe,  and  shield. 
^"   When  he  came  to  years  of  discretion,  and  had  attained 
.the  measure  of  sixteen  years,  the  King  said  to  him  : 

I"  My  son,  go  and  complete  your  education." 
"  Who  shall  be  my  teacher  ?  "  the  lad  asked. 
'^  Go,  my  son  ;  in  the  kingdom  of  Candahar,  in    the  city 
•of  Takkasila,  is  a  far-famed  teacher  from  whom  I  wish  you 
to  learn.      Take  this,  and  give  it  him  for  a  fee."      With  that 
lie  gave  him  a  thousand  pieces  of  money,  and  dismissed  him. 

The  lad  departed,  and  was  educated  by  this  teacher  ;  he 
received  the  Five  Weapons  from  him  as  a  gift,  bade  him 
farewell,  and  leaving  Takkasila,  he  began  his  journey  to 
Benares,  armed  with  the  Five  Weapons. 

On  his  way  he  came  to  a  forest  inhabited  by  the  Demon 
with  the  Matted  Hair.  At  the  entering  in  of  the  forest 
some  men  saw  him,  and  cried  out  : 

"  Hullo,  young  sir,  keep  clear  of  that  wood  !  There's  a 
Demon  in  it  called  he  of  the  Matted  Hair :  he  kills  every 
man  he  sees ! "  And  they  tried  to  stop  him.  But  the 
Bodhisatta,  having  confidence  in  himself,  went  straight  on, 
fearless  as  a  maned  lion. 

When  he  reached  mid-forest  the  Demon  showed  himself. 
He  made  himself  as  tall  as  a  palm  tree  ;  his  head  was 
the  size  of  a  pagoda,  his  eyes  as  big  as  saucers,  and  he  had 
two  tusks  all  over  knobs  and  bulbs  ;  he  had  the  face  of  a 
hawk,  a  variegated  belly,  and  blue  hands  and  feet. 

"  Where  are  you  going  ?  "  he  shouted.  ''  Stop  !  You'll 
make  a  meal  for  me  !  " 


196  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

Said  the  Bodhisatta  :  '^  Demon,  I  came  here  trusting  in 
myself.  I  advise  you  to  be  careful  how  you  come  near 
me.  Here's  a  poisoned  arrow,  which  I'll  shoot  at  you  and 
knock  you  down  !  "  With  this  menace,  he  fitted  to  his 
bow  an  arrow  dipped  in  deadly  poison,  and  let  fly.  The 
arrow  stuck  fast  in  the  Demon's  hair.  Then  he  shot  and 
shot,  till  he  had  shot  away  fifty  arrows  ;  and  they  all  stuck  in 
the  Demon's  hair.  The  Demon  snapped  them  all  off  short,  and 
threw  them  down  at  his  feet  ;  then  came  up  to  the  Bodhisatta, 
who  drew  his  sword  and  struck  the  Demon,  threatening  him 
the  while.  His  sword — it  was  three-and-thirty  inches 
long — stuck  in  the  Demon's  hair!  The  Bodhisatta  struck 
him  with  his  spear — that  stuck  too  !  He  struck  him  with 
his  club — and  that  stuck  too  ! 

When  the  Bodhisatta  saw  that  this  had  stuck  fast,  he 
addressed  the  Demon.  "You,  Demon!"  said  he,  'Mid 
you  never  hear  of  me  before — the  Prince  of  the  Five 
Weapons  ?  When  I  came  into  the  forest  which  you  live  in 
I  did  not  trust  to  my  bow  and  other  weapons.  This  day 
will  I  pound  you  and  grind  you  to  powder  ! "  Thus  did  he 
declare  his  resolve,  and  with  a  shout  he  hit  at  the  Demon 
with  his  right  hand.  It  stuck  fast  in  his  hair  !  He  hit 
him  with  his  left  hand — that  stuck  too  !  With  his  right 
foot  he  kicked  him — that  stuck  too  ;  then  with  his  left — 
and  that  stuck  too  !  Then  he  butted  at  him  with  his  head, 
crying,  "  I'll  pound  you  to  powder  !  "  and  his  head  stuck 
fast  hke  the  rest. 

Thus  the  Bodhisatta  was  five  limes  snared,  caught  fast 
in  five  places,  hanging  suspended  :  yet  he  felt  no  fear — was 
not  even  nervous. 

Thought  the  Demon  to  himself:  "  Here's  a  lion  of  a  man  ! 


i 


THE    DEMON    WITH    THE    MATTED    HAIR 


Demon   with  the  Matted  Hair    197 

A  noble  man  !  More  than  man  is  he  !  Here  he  is,  caught  by 
a  Demon  like  me ;  yet  he  will  not  fear  a  bit.  Since  I  have 
ravaged  this  road,  I  never  saw  such  a  man.  Now,  why  is 
it  that  he  does  not  fear  ?  "  He  was  powerless  to  eat  the 
man,  but  asked  him  :  ''  Why  is  it,  young  sir,  that  you  are 
not  frightened  to  death  ?  " 

"Why  should  I  fear.  Demon?"  replied  he.  "In  one 
life  a  man  can  die  but  once.  Besides,  in  my  belly  is  a 
thunderbolt  ;  if  you  eat  me,  you  will  never  be  able  to  digest 
it  ;  this  will  tear  your  inwards  into  little  bits,  and  kill 
you  :  so  we  shall  both  perish.  That  is  why  I  fear  no- 
thing." (By  this,  the  Bodhisatta  meant  the  weapon  of 
knowledge  which  he  had  within  him.) 

When  he  heard  this,  the  Demon  thought  :  *'  This  young 
man  speaks  the  truth.  A  piece  of  the  flesh  of  such  a  lion- 
man  as  he  would  be  too  much  for  me  to  digest,  if  it  were  no 
bigger  than  a  kidney-bean.  I'll  let  him  go  !  "  So,  being 
frightened  to  death,  he  let  go  the  Bodhisatta,  saying  : 

"  Young  sir,  you  are  a  lion  of  a  man  !  I  will  not  eat 
you  up.  I  set  you  free  from  my  hands,  as  the  moon  is 
disgorged  from  the  jaws  of  Rahu  after  the  eclipse.  Go 
back  to  the  company  of  your  friends  and  relations  !  " 

And  the  Bodhisatta  said  :  *'  Demon,  I  will  go,  as  you  say. 
You  were  born  a  Demon,  cruel,  blood-bibbing,  devourer  of 
the  flesh  and  gore  of  others,  because  you  did  wickedly  in 
former  lives.  If  you  still  go  on  doing  wickedly,  you  will 
go  from  darkness  to  darkness.  But  now  that  you  have 
seen  me  you  will  find  it  impossible  to  do  wickedly.  Taking 
the  life  of  living  creatures  causes  birth,  as  an  animal,  in  the 
world  of  Petas,  or  in  the  body  of  an  Asura,  or,  if  one  is  re- 
born as  a  man,  it  makes  his  life  short."      With  this  and  the 


198  Indian   Fairy  Tales 


like  monition  he  told  him  the  disadvantage  of  the  live  kinds 
of  wickedness,  and  the  profit  of  the  five  kinds  of  virtue, 
and  frightened  the  Demon  in  various  ways,  discoursing  to 
him  until  he  subdued  him  and  made  him  self-denying, 
and  established  him  in  the  five  kinds  of  virtue  ;  he  made 
him  worship  the  deity  to  whom  offerings  were  made  in 
that  wood  ;  and  having  carefully  admonished  him,  departed 
out  of  it. 

At  the  entrance  of  the  forest  he  told  all  to  the  people 
thereabout ;  and  went  on  to  Benares,  armed  with  his  five 
weapons.  Afterwards  he  became  king,  and  ruled  righteously  ; 
and  after  giving  alms  and  doing  good  he  passed  away 
according  to  his  deeds. 


And  the  Teacher,  when  this  tale  was  ended,  became  perfectly 
enlightened,  and  repeated  this  verse  : 

Whose  mind  and  heart  from  all  desire  is  free. 
Who  seeks  for  peace  by  living  virtuously, 
He  in  due  time  will  sever  all  the  bonds 
That  bind  him  fast  to  life,  and  cease  to  be. 

Thus  the  Teacher  reached  the  summit,  through  sainthood 
and  the  teaching  of  the  law,  and  thereupon  he  declared  the  Four 
Truths.  At  the  end  of  the  declaring  of  the  Truths,  this  Brother 
also  attained  to  sainthood.  Then  the  Teacher  made  the  connexion, 
and  gave  the  key  to  the  birth-tale,  saying :  *^  At  that  time 
Angulimala  was  the  Demon,  but  the  Prince  of  the  Five 
Weapons  was  I  myself." 


1 


The  Ivory  City  and  its  Fairy 
Princess 


NE  day  a  young  prince  was  out  practising 
archery  with  the  son  of  his  father's 
chief  vizier,  when  one  of  the  arrows 
accidentally  struck  the  wife  of  a  mer- 
chant, who  was  walking  about  in  an 
upper  room  of  a  house  close  by.  The 
prince  aimed  at  a  bird  that  was  perched  on  the  window-sill 
of  that  room,  and  had  not  the  slightest  idea  that  anybody 
was  at  hand,  or  he  would  not  have  shot  in  that  direction. 
Consequently,  not  knowing  what  had  happened,  he  and  the 
vizier's  son  walked  away,  the  vizier's  son  chaffing  him 
because  he  had  missed  the  bird. 


2  00  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

Presently  the  merchant  went  to  ask  his  wife  about  some- 
thing, and  found  her  lying,  to  all  appearance,  dead  in  the 
middle  of  the  room,  and  an  arrow  fixed  in  the  ground 
within  half  a  yard  of  her  head.  Supposing  that  she  was 
dead,  he  rushed  to  the  window  and  shrieked,  ''  Thieves 
thieves  !  They  have  killed  my  wife."  The  neighbours 
quickly  gathered,  and  the  servants  came  running  upstairs 
to  see  what  was  the  matter.  It  happened  that  the  woman 
had  fainted,  and  that  there  was  only  a  very  slight  wound  in 
her  breast  where  the  arrow  had  grazed. 

As  soon  as  the  woman  recovered  her  senses  she  told 
them  that  two  young  men  had  passed  by  the  place  with 
their  bows  and  arrows,  and  that  one  of  them  had  most 
deliberately  aimed  at  her  as  she  stood  by  the  window. 

On  hearing  this  the  merchant  went  to  the  king,  and  told 
him  what  had  taken  place.  His  Majesty  was  much  enraged 
at  such  audacious  wickedness,  and  swore  that  most  terrible 
punishment  should  be  visited  on  the  offender  if  he  could  be 
discovered.  He  ordered  the  merchant  to  go  back  and 
ascertain  whether  his  wife  could  recognise  the  young  men  if 
she  saw  them  again. 

*^  Oh  yes,"  replied  the  woman,  ''  I  should  know  them 
again  among  all  the  people  in  the  city." 

''  Then,"  said  the  king,  when  the  merchant  brought  back 
this  reply,  *'  to-morrow  I  will  cause  all  the  male  inhabitants 
of  this  city  to  pass  before  your  house,  and  your  wife  will 
stand  at  the  window  and  watch  for  the  man  who  did  this 
wanton  deed." 

A  royal  proclamation  was  issued  to  this  effect.  So  the 
next  day  all  the  men  and  boys  of  the  city,  from  the  age  of 
ten  years  upwards,  assembled  and  marched  by  the  house  of 


I 


Ivory  City  and   Fairy  Princess   201 


the  merchant.  By  chance  (for  they  both  had  been  excused 
from  obeying  this  order)  the  king's  son  and  the  vizier's  son 
were  also  in   the  company,  and   passed  by  in   the  crowd. 

I  hey  came  to  see  the  tamasha. 
I  As  soon  as  these  two  appeared  in  front  of  the  merchant's 
^ndow  they  were  recognised  by  the  merchant's  wife,  and 
[  once  reported  to  the  king. 
t  *^  My  own  son  and  the  son  of  my  chief  vizier  !  "  ex- 
aimed  the  king,  who  had  been  present  from  the  commence- 
ment. "  What  examples  for  the  people  !  Let  them  both 
be  executed." 

'^  Not  so,  your  Majesty,"  said  the  vizier,  "  I  beseech  you 
Let  the  facts  of  the  case  be  thoroughly  investigated.  How 
is  it  ? "  he  continued,  turning  to  the  two  young  men. 
**  Why  have  you  done  this  cruel  thing  ?  " 

"  I  shot  an  arrow  at  a  bird  that  was  sitting  on  the  sill  of 
an  open  window  in  yonder  house,  and  missed,"  answered 
the  prince.  *'  I  suppose  the  arrow  struck  the  merchant's 
wife.  Had  I  known  that  she  or  anybody  had  been  near  I 
should  not  have  shot  in  that  direction." 

''We  will  speak  of  this  later  on,"  said  the  king,  on  hear- 
ing this  answer.  "  Dismiss  the  people.  Their  presence  is 
no  longer  needed." 

In  the  evening  his  Majesty  and  the  vizier  had  a  long  and 
earnest  talk  about  their  two  sons.  The  king  wished  both 
of  them  to  be  executed  ;  but  the  vizier  suggested  that  the 
prince  should  be  banished  from  the  country.  This  was 
finally  agreed  to. 

Accordingly,  on  the  following  morning,  a  little  company 
of  soldiers  escorted  the  prince  out  of  the  cit}-.  When  they 
reached   the   last    custom-house   the   viziers    son   overtook 


202  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

them.  He  had  come  with  all  haste,  bringing  with  him  four 
bags  of  muhrs  on  four  horses.  ''  I  am  come,"  he  said, 
throwing  his  arms  round  the  prince's  neck,  "  because  I  can- 
not let  you  go  alone.  We  have  lived  together,  we  will  be 
exiled  together,  and  we  will  die  together.  Turn  me  not 
back,  if  you  love  me." 

"Consider,"  the  prince  answered,  "what  you  are  doing. 
All  kinds  of  trial  may  be  before  me.  Why  should  you 
leave  your  home  and  country  to  be  with  me  ?  " 

"  Because  I  love  you,"  he  said,  "  and  shall  never  be 
happy  without  you." 

So  the  two  friends  walked  along  hand  in  hand  as  fast  as 
they  could  to  get  out  of  the  country,  and  behind  them 
marched  the  soldiers  and  the  horses  with  their  valuable 
burdens.  On  reaching  a  place  on  the  borders  of  the 
king's  dominions  the  prince  gave  the  soldiers  some  gold, 
and  ordered  them  to  return.  The  soldiers  took  the  money 
and  left ;  they  did  not,  however,  go  very  far,  but  hid 
themselves  behind  rocks  and  stones,  and  waited  till  they 
were  quite  sure  that  the  prince  did  not  intend  to  come  back. 

On  and  on  the  exiles  walked,  till  they  arrived  at  a 
certain  village,  where  they  determined  to  spend  the  night 
under  one  of  the  big  trees  of  the  place.  The  prince  made 
preparations  for  a  fire,  and  arranged  the  few  articles  of 
bedding  that  they  had  with  them,  while  the  vizier's  son 
went  to  the  baniya  and  the  baker  and  the  butcher  to  get 
something  for  their  dinner.  For  some  reason  he  was 
delayed  ;  perhaps  the  tsut  was  not  quite  ready,  or  the 
baniya  had  not  got  all  the  spices  prepared.  After  waiting 
half  an  hour  the  prince  became  impatient,  and  rose  up  and 
walked  about. 


I 


Ivory  City  and   Fairy  Princess   203 


frc 


He  saw  a  pretty,  clear  little  brook  running  along  not   far 

from  their   resting-place,  and   hearing  that  its  source  was 

ot  far  distant,  he  started  off  to  find  it.      The  source  was  a 

autiful  lake,  which  at  that  time  was  covered  with  the 
magnificent  lotus  flower  and  other  water  plants.  The 
prince  sat  down  on  the  bank,  and  being  thirsty  took  up 
some  of  the  water  in  his  hand.  Fortunately  he  looked  into 
is  hand  before  drinking,  and  there,  to  his  great  astonish- 
ment, he  saw  reflected  whole  and  clear  the  image  of  a 
beautiful  fairy.  He  looked  round,  hoping  to  see  the  reality ; 
but  seeing  no  person,  he  drank  the  water,  and  put  out  his 
hand  to  take  some  more.  Again  he  saw  the  reflection  in 
the  water  which  was  in  his  palm.  He  looked  around  as 
before,  and  this  time  discovered  a  fairy  sitting  by  the  bank 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  lake.  On  seeing  her  he  fell  so 
madly  in  love  with  her  that  he  dropped  down  in  a  swoon. 

When  the  vizier's  son  returned,  and  found  the  fire  lighted, 
the  horses  securely  fastened,  and  the  bags  of  muhrs  lying 
altogether  in  a  heap,  but  no  prince,  he  did  not  know  what 
to  think.  He  waited  a  little  while,  and  then  shouted  ;  but 
not  getting  any  reply,  he  got  up  and  went  to  the  brook. 
There  he  came  across  the  footmarks  of  his  friend.  Seeing 
these,  he  went  back  at  once  for  the  money  and  the  horses, 
and  bringing  them  with  him,  he  tracked  the  prince  to  the 
lake,  where  he  found  him  lying  to  all  appearance  dead. 

"  Alas  !  alas  !  "  he  cried,  and  lifting  up  the  prince,  he 
poured  some  water  over  his  head  and  face.  "  Alas  !  my 
brother,  what  is  this  ?  Oh  !  do  not  die  and  leave  me  thus. 
Speak,  speak  !      I  cannot  bear  this  !  " 

In  a  few  minutes  the  prince,  revived  by  the  water, 
opened  his  eyes,  and  looked  about  wildly. 


2  04  Indian  Fairy  Tales 

'•  Thank  God  !  "  exclaimed  the  vizier's  son.  ''  But  what 
is  the  matter,  brother  ?  " 

"  Go  away/'  repHed  the  prince.  *'  I  don't  want  to  say 
anything  to  you,  or  to  see  you.      Go  away." 

"  Come,  come  ;  let  us  leave  this  place.  Look,  I  have 
brought  some  food  for  you,  and  horses,  and  everything. 
Let  us  eat  and  depart." 

"  Go  alone,"  rephed  the  prince. 

^'  Never,"  said  the  vizier's  son.  "  What  has  happened 
to  suddenly  estrange  you  from  me  ?  A  little  while  ago  we 
were  brethren,  but  now  you  detest  the  sight  of  me." 

*'  I  have  looked  upon  a  fairy,"  the  prince  said.  "  But  a 
moment  I  saw  her  face  ;  for  when  she  noticed  that  I  was 
looking  at  her  she  covered  her  face  with  lotus  petals.  Oh, 
how  beautiful  she  was  !  And  while  I  gazed  she  took  out  of 
her  bosom  an  ivory  box,  and  held  it  up  to  me.  Then  I 
fainted.  Oh  !  if  you  can  get  me  that  fairy  for  my  wife,  I 
will  go  anywhere  with  you." 

"Oh,  brother,"  said  the  vizier's  son,  "you  have  indeed 
seen  a  fairy.  She  is  a  fairy  of  the  fairies.  This  is  none 
other  than  Gulizar  of  the  Ivory  City.  I  know  this  from  the 
signs  that  she  gave  you.  From  her  covering  her  face  with 
lotus  petals  I  learn  her  name,  and  from  her  showing 
you  the  ivory  box  I  learn  where  she  lives.  Be  patient, 
and  rest  assured  that  I  will  arrange  your  marriage  with 
her." 

When  the  prince  heard  these  encouraging  words  he  felt 
much  comforted,  rose  up,  and  ate,  and  then  went  away 
gladly  with  his  friend. 

On  the  way  they  met  two  men.  These  two  men  be- 
longed to  a  family  of  robbers.      There  were  eleven  of  them 


I 


Ivory   City  and   Fairy  Princess    205 


altogether.  One,  an  elder  sister,  stayed  at  home  and 
cooked  the  food,  and  the  other  ten — all  brothers — went 
l^put,  two  and  two,  and  walked  about  the  four  different  ways 
that  ran  through  that  part  of  the  country,  robbing  those 
travellers  who  could  not  resist  them,  and  inviting  others, 
who  were  too  powerful  for  two  of  them  to  manage,  to 
IHlome  and  rest  at  their  house,  where  the  whole  family 
attacked  them  and  stole  their  goods.  These  thieves  lived 
in  a  kind  of  tower,  which  had  several  strong-rooms  in  it, 
and  under  it  was  a  great  pit,  wherein  they  threw  the 
corpses  of  the  poor  unfortunates  who  chanced  to  fall  into 
their  power. 

The  two  men  came  forward,  and,  politely  accosting 
them,  begged  them  to  come  and  stay  at  their  house  for  the 
night.  ''  It  is  late,"  they  said,  ^'  and  there  is  not  another 
village  within  several  miles." 

''  Shall  we  accept  this  good  man's  invitation,  brother  ?  " 
asked  the  prince. 

The  vizier's  son  frowned  slightly  in  token  of  disapproval ; 
but  the  prince  was  tired,  and  thinking  that  it  was  only  a 
whim  of  his  friend's,  he  said  to  the  men,  ^'  Very  well.  It 
is  very  kind  of  you  to  ask  us." 

So  they  all  four  went  to  the  robbers'  tower. 

Seated  in  a  room,  with  the  door  fastened  on  the  outside, 
the  two  travellers  bemoaned  their  fate. 

'*  It  is  no  good  groaning,"  said  the  vizier's  son.  "  I  will 
climb  to  the  window,  and  see  whether  there  are  any  means 
of  escape.  Yes  !  yes  !  "  he  whispered,  when  he  had  reached 
the  window-hole.  *'  Below  there  is  a  ditch  surrounded  by 
a  high  wall.  I  will  jump  down  and  reconnoitre.  You  stay 
here,  and  wait  till  I  return." 


2o6  Indian  Fairy  Tales 


Presently  he  came  back  and  told  the  prince  that  he  had 
seen  a  most  ugly  woman,  whom  he  supposed  was  the 
robbers'  housekeeper.  She  had  agreed  to  release  them  on 
the  promise  of  her  marriage  with  the  prince. 

So  the  woman  led  the  way  out  of  the  enclosure  by  a 
secret  door. 

''But  where  are  the  horses  and  the  goods  ?"  the  vizier's 
son  inquired. 

"You  cannot  bring  them,"  the  woman  said.  ''To  go 
out  by  any  other  way  would  be  to  thrust  oneself  into  the 
grave." 

"All  right,  then;  they  also  shall  go  out  by  this  door. 
I  have  a  charm,  whereby  I  can  make  them  thin  or  fat."  So 
the  vizier's  son  fetched  the  horses  without  any  person 
knowing  it,  and  repeating  the  charm,  he  made  them  pass 
through  the  narrow  doorway  like  pieces  of  cloth,  and  when 
they  were  all  outside  restored  them  to  their  former  con- 
dition. He  at  once  mounted  his  horse  and  laid  hold  of  the 
halter  of  one  of  the  other  horses,  and  then  beckoning  to  the 
prince  to  do  likewise,  he  rode  off.  The  prince  saw  his 
opportunity,  and  in  a  moment  was  riding  after  him,  having 
the  woman  behind  him. 

Now  the  robbers  heard  the  galloping  of  the  horses,  and 
ran  out  and  shot  their  arrows  at  the  prince  and  his  com- 
panions. And  one  of  the  arrows  killed  the  woman,  so  they 
had  to  leave  her  behind. 

On,  on  they  rode,  until  they  reached  a  village  where  they 
stayed  the  night.  The  following  morning  they  were  off 
again,  and  asked  for  Ivory  City  from  every  passer-by.  At 
length  they  came  to  this  famous  city,  and  put  up  at  a  little 
hut  that  belonged  to  an  old  woman,  from  whom  they  feared 


I 


Ivory   City   and   Fairy   Princess    207 


no  harm,  and  with  whom,  therefore,  they  could  abide  in 
peace  and  comfort.  At  first  the  old  woman  did  not  like  the 
idea  of  these  travellers  staying  in  her  house,  but  the  sight 
of  a  muhr,  which  the  prince  dropped  in  the  bottom  of  a  cup 
in  which  she  had  given  him  water,  and  a  present  of  another 
muhr  from  the  vizier's  son,  quickly  made  her  change  her 
mind.  She  agreed  to  let  them  stay  there  for  a  few 
days. 

As  soon  as  her  work  was  over  the  old  woman  came  and 
sat  down  with  her  lodgers.  The  vizier's  son  pretended 
to  be  utterly  ignorant  of  the  place  and  people.  "Has  this 
city  a  name  ?  "  he  asked  the  old  woman. 

'^Oflcourse  it  has,  you  stupid.  Every  httle  village, 
much  more  a  city,  and  such  a  city  as  this,  has  a 
name." 

'^  What  is  the  name  of  this  city  ?  " 

"  Ivory  City.  Don't  you  know  that  ?  I  thought  the 
name  was  known  all  over  the  world." 

On  the  mention  of  the  name  Ivory  City  the  prince  gave 
a  deep  sigh.  The  vizier's  son  looked  as  much  as  to  say^ 
^'  Keep  quiet,  or  you'll  discover  the  secret." 

"  Is  there  a  king  of  this  country  ?  "  continued  the  vizier's 
son. 

'*Of  course  there  is,  and  a  queen,  and  a  princess." 

"  What  are  their  names  ?  " 

"  The  name  of  the  princess  is  Gulizar,  and  the  name  of 
the  queen " 

The  vizier's  son  interrupted  the  old  woman  by  turning  to 
look  at  the  prince,  who  was  staring  hke  a  madman.  '*  Yes," 
he  said  to  him  afterwards,  *^we  are  in  the  right  country. 
We  shall  see  the  beautiful  princess." 

o 


2o8  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

One  morning  the  two  travellers  noticed  the  old  woman's 
most  careful  toilette  :  how  careful  she  was  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  her  hair  and  the  set  of  her  kasabah  and  puts. 

"  Who  is  coming  ?  "   said  the  vizier's  son. 

*'  Nobody/'  the  old  woman  repHed. 

'^  Then  where  are  you  going  ?  " 

"  I  am  going  to  see  my  daughter,  who  is  a  servant  of  the 
Princess  Gulizar.  I  see  her  and  the  princess  every  day. 
I  should  have  gone  yesterday,  if  you  had  not  been  here  and 
taken  up  all  my  time." 

"  Ah-h-h  !  Be  careful  not  to  say  anything  about  us  in 
the  hearing  of  the  princess."  The  vizier's  son  asked  her 
not  to  speak  about  them  at  the  palace,  hoping  that,  because 
she  had  been  told  not  to  do  so,  she  would  mention  their 
arrival,  and  thus  the  princess  would  be  informed  of  their 
coming. 

On  seeing  her  mother  the  girl  pretended  to  be  very 
angry.  "  Why  have  you  not  been  for  two  days  ?  "  she 
asked. 

*'  Because,  my  dear,"  the  old  woman  answered,  "  two 
young  travellers,  a  prince  and  the  son  of  some  great  vizier, 
have  taken  up  their  abode  in  my  hut,  and  demand  so  much 
of  my  attention.  It  is  nothing  but  cooking  and  cleaning, 
and  cleaning  and  cooking,  all  day  long.  I  can't  understand 
the  men,"  she  added  ;  ^'one  of  them  especially  appears  very 
stupid.  He  asked  me  the  name  of  this  country  and  the 
the  name  of  the  king.  Now  where  can  these  men  have 
come  from,  that  they  do  not  know  these  things  ?  However, 
they  are  very  great  and  very  rich.  They  each  give  me  a 
muhr  every  morning  and  every  evening." 

After  this  the  old  woman  went  and  repeated  almost  the 


I 


Ivory  City  and  Fairy  Princess   209 


ii 


same  words  to  the  princess,  on  the  hearing  of  which  the 
princess  beat  her  severely  ;  and  threatened  her  with  a 
severer  punishment  if  she  ever  again  spoke  of  the  strangers 
before  her. 

In  the  evening,  when  the  old  woman  had  returned  to  her 
ut,  she  told  the  vizier's  son  how  sorry  she  was  that  she 
could  not  help  breaking  her  promise,  and  how  the  princess 
had  struck  her  because  she  mentioned  their  coming  and  all 
about  them. 

'*  Alas  !  alas  !  "  said  the  prince,  who  had  eagerly  listened 
to  every  word.  "  What,  then,  will  be  her  anger  at  the 
sight  of  a  man  ?  " 

"  Anger  ?  "  said  the  vizier's  son,  with  an  astonished  air. 
*'  She  would  be  exceedingly  glad  to  see  one  man.  I 
know  this.  In  this  treatment  of  the  old  woman  I  see  her 
request  that  you  will  go  and  see  her  during  the  coming 
dark  fortnight." 

''  Heaven  be  praised  !  "  the  prince  exclaimed. 

The  next  time  the  old  woman  went  to  the  palace  Gulizar 
called  one  of  her  servants  and  ordered  her  to  rush  into  the 
room  while  she  was  conversing  with  the  old  woman  ;  and 
if  the  old  woman  asked  what  was  the  matter,  she  was  to 
say  that  the  king's  elephants  had  gone  mad,  and  were  rush- 
ing about  the  city  and  bazaar  in  every  direction,  and 
destroying  everything  in  their  way. 

The  servant  obeyed,  and  the  old  woman,  fearing  lest  the 
elephants  should  go  and  push  down  her  hut  and  kill  the 
prince  and  his  friend,  begged  the  princess  to  let  her  depart. 
Now  Gulizar  had  obtained  a  charmed  swing,  that  landed 
whoever  sat  on  it  at  the  place  wherever  they  wished  to  be. 
(*  Get  the  swing,"  she  said  to  one  of  the  servants  standing 


i 


2IO  Indian  Fairy  Tales 

by.  When  it  was  brought  she  bade  the  old  woman  step 
into  it  and  desire  to  be  at  home. 

The  old  woman  did  so,  and  was  at  once  carried  through 
the  air  quickly  and  safely  to  her  hut,  where  she  found  her 
two  lodgers  safe  and  sound.  ^'  Oh  !  "  she  cried,  ''  I  thought 
that  both  of  you  would  be  killed  by  this  time.  The  royal 
elephants  have  got  loose  and  are  running  about  wildly. 
When  I  heard  this  I  was  anxious  about  you.  So  the 
princess  gave  me  this  charmed  swing  to  return  in.  But 
come,  let  us  get  outside  before  the  elephants  arrive  and 
batter  down  the  place." 

'*  Don't  believe  this,"  said  the  vizier's  son.  ^*  It  is  a 
mere  hoax.      They  have  been  playing  tricks  with  you." 

*'  You  will  soon  have  your  heart's  desire,"  he  whispered 
aside  to  the  prince       "  These  things  are  signs." 

Two  days  of  the  dark  fortnight  had  elapsed,  when  the 
prince  and  the  vizier's  son  seated  themselves  in  the  swing, 
and  wished  themselves  within  the  grounds  of  the  palace. 
In  a  moment  they  were  there,  and  there  too  was  the  object 
of  their  search  standing  by  one  of  the  palace  gates,  and 
longing  to  see  the  prince  quite  as  much  as  he  was  longing 
to  see  her. 

Oh,  what  a  happy  meeting  it  was  ! 

'^  At  last,"  said  Gulizar,  '^  I  have  seen  my  beloved,  my 
husband." 

''  A  thousand  thanks  to  Heaven  for  bringing  me  to  you," 
said  the  prince. 

Then  the  prince  and  Gulizar  betrothed  themselves  to  one 
another  and  parted,  the  one  for  the  hut  and  the  other  for 
the  palace,  both  of  them  feeling  happier  than  they  had  ever 
been  before. 


Ivory  City  and   Fairy  Princess   211 

Henceforth  the  prince  visited  Gulizar  every  day  and 
returned  to  the  hut  every  night.  One  morning  Gulizar 
begged  him  to  stay  with  her  always.  She  was  constantly 
afraid  of  some  evil  happening  to  him — perhaps  robbers 
would  slay  him,  or  sickness  attack  him,  and  then  she  would 
be  deprived  of  him.  She  could  not  live  without  seeing  him. 
The  prince  showed  her  that  there  was  no  real  cause  for 
fear,  and  said  that  he  felt  he  ought  to  return  to  his  friend  at 
night,  because  he  had  left  his  home  and  country  and  risked 
his  life  for  him  ;  and,  moreover,  if  it  had  not  been  for  his 
friend's  help  he  would  never  have  met  with  her. 

Gulizar  for  the  time  assented,  but  she  determined  in 
her  heart  to  get  rid  of  the  vizier's  son  as  soon  as  possible. 
A  few  da3^s  after  this  conversation  she  ordered  one  of  her 
maids  to  make  a  pilaw.  She  gave  special  directions  that  a 
certain  poison  was  to  be  mixed  into  it  while  cooking,  and 
as  soon  as  it  was  ready  the  cover  was  to  be  placed  on  the 
saucepan,  so  that  the  poisonous  steam  might  not  escape. 
When  the  pilaw  was  ready  she  sent  it  at  once  by  the  hand 
of  a  servant  to  the  vizier's  son  with  this  message : 
*'  Gulizar,  the  princess,  sends  you  an  offering  in  the  name 
of  her  dead  uncle." 

On  receiving  the  present  the  vizier's  son  thought  that 
the  prince  had  spoken  gratefully  of  him  to  the  princess,  and 
therefore  she  had  thus  remembered  him.  Accordingly  he 
sent  back  his  salam  and  expressions  of  thankfulness. 

When  it  was  dinner-time  he  took  the  saucepan  of  pilaw 
and  went  out  to  eat  it  by  the  stream.  Taking  off  the  lid, 
he  threw  it  aside  on  the  grass  and  then  washed  his  hands. 
During  the  minute  or  so  that  he  was  performing  these 
ablutions,  the  green  grass  under  the  cover  oi   the  saucepan 


2  12  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

turned  quite  yellow.  He  was  astonished,  and  suspect- 
ing that  there  was  poison  in  the  pilaw,  he  took  a  little  and 
threw  it  to  some  crows  that  were  hopping  about.  The 
moment  the  crows  ate  what  was  thrown  to  them  they  fell 
down  dead. 

^'Heaven  be  praised,"  exclaimed  the  vizier's  son,  '^who 
has  preserved  me  from  death  at  this  time !  " 

On  the  return  of  the  prince  that  evening  the  vizier's  son 
was  very  reticent  and  depressed.  The  prince  noticed  this 
change  in  him,  and  asked  what  was  the  reason.  *'  Is  it 
because  I  am  away  so  much  at  the  palace  ?  "  The  vizier's 
son  saw  that  the  prince  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  sending 
of  the  pilaw,  and  therefore  told  him  everything. 

''  Look  here,"  he  said,  *'  in  this  handkerchief  is  some 
pilaw  that  the  princess  sent  me  this  morning  in  the  name  of 
her  deceased  uncle.  It  is  saturated  with  poison.  Thank 
Heaven,  I  discovered  it  in  time  !  " 

"  Oh,  brother  !  who  could  have  done  this  thing  ?  Who 
is  there  that  entertains  enmity  against  you  ?  " 

'^  The  Princess  Gulizar.  Listen.  The  next  time  you 
go  to  see  her,  I  entreat  you  to  take  some  snow  with  you  ; 
and  just  before  seeing  the  princess  put  a  little  of  it  into 
both  your  eyes.  It  will  provoke  tears,  and  Gulizar  will  ask 
you  why  you  are  crying.  Tell  her  that  you  weep  for  the 
loss  of  your  friend,  who  died  suddenly  this  morning.  Look  ! 
take,  too,  this  wine  and  this  shovel,  and  when  you  have 
feigned  intense  grief  at  the  death  of  your  friend,  bid  the 
princess  to  drink  a  little  of  the  wine.  It  is  strong,  and  will 
immediately  send  her  into  a  deep  sleep.  Then,  while  she 
is  asleep,  heat  the  shovel  and  mark  her  back  with  it. 
Remember  to  bring  back  the  shovel  again,  and  also  to  take 


I 


Ivory  City  and   Fairy   Princess    21 


o 


her  pearl  necklace.  This  done,  return.  Now  fear  not  to 
execute  these  instructions,  because  on  the  fulfilment  of  them 
depends  your  fortune  and  happiness.  I  will  arrange  that 
your  marriage  with  the  princess  shall  be  accepted  by  the 
king,  her  father,  and  all  the  court." 

The  prince  promised  that  he  would  do  everything  as  the 
vizier's  son  had  advised  him ;   and  he  kept  his  promise. 

The  following  night,  on  the  return  of  the  prince  from  his 
visit  to  Guhzar,  he  and  the  vizier's  son,  taking  the  horses 
and  bags  of  muhrs,  went  to  a  graveyard  about  a  mile  or  so 
distant.  It  was  arranged  that  the  vizier's  son  should  act 
the  part  of  a  fakir  and  the  prince  the  part  of  the  fakir's 
disciple  and  servant. 

In  the  morning,  when  Gulizar  had  returned  to  her  senses, 
she  felt  a  smarting  pain  in  her  back,  and  noticed  that  her 
pearl  necklace  was  gone.  She  went  at  once  and  informed 
the  king  of  the  loss  of  her  necklace,  but  said  nothing  to  him 
about  the  pain  in  her  back. 

The  king  was  very  angry  when  he  heard  of  the  theft, 
and  caused  proclamation  concerning  it  to  be  made  through- 
out all  the  city  and  surrounding  country. 

*'It  is  well,"  said  the  vizier's  son,  when  he  heard  of  this 
proclamation.  "  Fear  not,  my  brother,  but  go  and  take  this 
necklace,  and  try  to  sell  it  in  the  bazaar." 

The  prince  took  it  to  a  goldsmith  and  asked  him  to 
buy  it. 

*^  How  much  do  you  want  for  it  ?  "   asked  the  man. 

*'  Fifty  thousand  rupees,"  the  prince  replied. 

"All  right,"  said  the  man  ;  *^wait  here  while  I  go  and 
fetch  the  money." 

The  prince  waited  and  waited,  till   at  last   the  goldsmith 


214  Indian  Fairy  Tales 

returned,  and  with  him  the  kotwal,  who  at  once  took  the 
prince  into  custody  on  the  charge  of  steaHng  the  princess's 
necklace. 

"  How  did  }'cu  get  the  necklace  ?  "  the  kotwal  asked. 

'^  A  fakir,  whose  servant  I  am,  gave  it  to  me  to  sell  in 
the  bazaar,"  the  prince  replied.  *'  Permit  me,  and  I  will 
show  you  where  he  is." 

The  prince  directed  the  kotwal  and  the  pohceman  to  the 
place  where  he  had  left  the  vizier's  son,  and  there  they 
found  the  fakir  with  his  eyes  shut  and  engaged  in  prayer. 
Presently,  when  he  had  finished  his  devotions,  the  kotwal 
asked  him  to  explain  how  he  had  obtained  possession  of  the 
princess's  necklace. 

"  Call  the  king  hither,"  he  repHed,  "  and  then  I  will  tell 
his  Majesty  face  to  face." 

On  this  some  men  went  to  the  king  and  told  him  what 
the  fakir  had  said.  His  Majesty  came,  and  seeing  the 
fakir  so  solemn  and  earnest  in  his  devotions,  he  was  afraid 
to  rouse  his  anger,  lest  peradventure  the  displeasure  of 
Heaven  should  descend  on  him,  and  so  he  placed  his  hands 
together  in  the  attitude  of  a  supplicant,  and  asked,  "  How 
did  you  get  my  daughter's  necklace  ?  " 

"  Last  night,"  rephed  the  fakir,  ^'we  were  sitting  here 
by  this  tomb  worshipping  Khuda,  when  a  ghoul,  dressed  as 
a  princess,  came  and  exhumed  a  body  that  had  been  buried 
a  few  days  ago,  and  began  to  eat  it.  On  seeing  this  I  was 
filled  with  anger,  and  beat  her  back  with  a  shovel,  which 
lay  on  the  fire  at  the  time.  While  running  away  from 
me  her  necklace  got  loose  and  dropped.  You  wonder  at 
these  words,  but  they  are  not  difficult  to  prove.  Examine 
your  daughter,  and  you  will  find  the  marks  of  the  burn  on 


r 


Ivory  City  and   Fairy  Princess   215 


lier  back.      Go,   and   if  it  is  as  I   say,  send  the  princess  to 
-^jne,  and  I  will  punish  her." 
I^p    The  king  went  back  to  the  palace,  and   at   once  ordered 

the  princess's  back  to  be  examined. 

IK    ^'  It  is  so,"  said  the  maid-servant  ;  "  the  burn  is  there." 
~     *'  Then   let    the    girl    be    slain    immediately,"    the    king 

shouted. 
IB     '^  No,  no,  your  Majesty,"   they  replied.      "  Let   us  send 
her  to  the  fakir  who  discovered  this  thing,  that   he   may  do 
whatever  he  wishes  with  her." 

The  king  agreed,  and  so  the  princess  was  taken  to  the 
graveyard. 

'^  Let  her  be  shut  up  in  a  cage,  and  be  kept  near  the 
grave  whence  she  took  out  the  corpse,"  said  the  fakir. 

This  was  done,  and  in  a  little  while  the  fakir  and  his 
disciple  and  the  princess  were  left  alone  in  the  graveyard. 
Night  had  not  long  cast  its  dark  mantle  over  the  scene 
when  the  fakir  and  his  disciple  threw  off  their  disguise, 
and  taking  their  horses  and  luggage,  appeared  before  the 
cage.  They  released  the  princess,  rubbed  some  ointment 
over  the  scars  on  her  back,  and  then  sat  her  upon  one  of 
their  horses  behind  the  prince.  Away  they  rode  fast  and 
far,  and  by  the  morning  were  able  to  rest  and  talk  over 
their  plans  in  safety.  The  vizier's  son  showed  the  princess 
some  of  the  poisoned  pilaw  that  she  had  sent  him,  and 
asked  whether  she  had  repented  of  her  ingratitude.  The 
princess  wept,  and  acknowledged  that  he  was  her  greatest 
helper  and  friend. 

A  letter  was  sent  to  the  chief  vizier  telling  him  of  all 
that  had  happened  to  the  prince  and  the  vizier's  son  since 
they  had  left  their  country.     When  the  vizier  read  the  letter 


2i6  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

he  went  and  informed  the  king.  The  king  caused  a  reply 
to  be  sent  to  the  two  exiles,  in  which  he  ordered  them  not 
to  return,  but  to  send  a  letter  to  Gulizar's  father,  and  inform 
him  of  everything.  Accordingly  they  did  this  ;  the  prince 
wrote  the  letter  at  the  vizier's  son's  dictation. 

On  reading  the  letter  Gulizar's  father  was  much  enraged 
with  his  viziers  and  other  officials  for  not  discovering  the 
presence  in  his  country  of  these  illustrious  visitors,  as  he 
was  especially  anxious  to  ingratiate  himself  in  the  favour  of 
the  prince  and  the  vizier's  son.  He  ordered  the  execution 
of  some  of  the  viziers  on  a  certain  date. 

"  Come,"  he  wrote  back  to  the  vizier's  son,  "  and  stay  at 
the  palace.  And  if  the  prince  desires  it,  I  will  arrange  for 
his  marriage  with  Gulizar  as  soon  as  possible." 

The  prince  and  the  vizier's  son  most  gladly  accepted  the 
invitation,  and  received  a  right  noble  welcome  from  the 
king.  The  marriage  soon  took  place,  and  then  after  a  few 
weeks  the  king  gave  them  presents  of  horses  and  elephants, 
and  jewels  and  rich  cloths,  and  bade  them  start  for  their 
own  land  ;  for  he  was  sure  that  the  king  would  now  receive 
them.  The  night  before  they  left  the  viziers  and  others, 
whom  the  king  intended  to  have  executed  as  soon  as  his 
visitors  had  left,  came  and  besought  the  vizier's  son  to  plead 
for  them,  and  promised  that  they  each  would  give  him  a 
daughtei  in  marriage.  He  agreed  to  do  so,  and  succeeded 
in  obtaining  their  pardon. 

Then  the  prince,  with  his  beautiful  bride  Gulizar,  and 
the  vizier's  son,  attended  by  a  troop  of  soldiers,  and  a 
large  number  of  camels  and  horses  bearing  very  much 
treasure,  left  for  their  own  land.  In  the  midst  of  the 
way  they  passed  the   tower  of  the  robbers,  and  with  the 


I 


Ivory  City  and   Fairy  Princess   217 


help  of  the  soldiers  they  razed  it  to  the  ground,  slew  all 
its  inmates,  and  seized  the  treasure  which  they  had  been 
amassing  there  for  several  years. 

At  length  they  reached  their  own  country,  and  when 
the  king  saw  his  son's  beautiful  wife  and  his  magnificent 
retinue  he  was  at  once  reconciled,  and  ordered  him  to  enter 
the  city  and  take  up  his  abode  there. 

Henceforth  all  was  sunshine  on  the  path  of  the  prince. 
He  became  a  great  favourite,  and  in  due  time  succeeded  to 
the  throne,  and  ruled  the  country  for  many,  many  years  in 
peace  and  happiness. 


How    Sun,   Moon,   and  Wind 
went   out  to   Dinner 


NE  day  Sun,  Moon,  and  Wind   went   out 

to   dine   with    their    uncle    and     aunts 

Thunder  and  Lightning.      Their  mother 

(one  of  the  most  distant  Stars  you  see 

far  up  in  the  sky)  waited  alone  for  her 

children's  return. 

Now  both  Sun  and  Wind  were  greedy  and  selfish.      They 

enjoyed   the  great   feast  that  had   been   prepared  for  them, 

without  a  thought  of  saving  any  of  it  to  take  home  to  their 


I 


Sun,   Moon,  and  Wind  219 


mother — but  the  gentle  Moon  did  not  forget  her.  Of  every 
dainty  dish  that  was  brought  round,  she  placed  a  small 
portion  under  one  of  her  beautiful  long  finger-nails,  that 
Star  might  also  have  a  share  in  the  treat. 

On  their  return,  their  mother,  who  had  kept  watch  for 
them  all  night  long  with  her  little  bright  eye,  said,  "  Well, 
children,  what  have  you  brought  home  for  me  ? "  Then 
Sun  (who  was  eldest)  said,  "  I  have  brought  nothing  home 
for  you.  I  went  out  to  enjoy  myself  with  my  friends — not 
to  fetch  a  dinner  for  my  mother  ! "  And  Wind  said, 
^'Neither  have  I  brought  anything  home  for  you,  mother. 
You  could  hardly  expect  me  to  bring  a  collection  of  good 
things  for  you,  when  I  merely  went  out  for  my  own 
pleasure."  But  Moon  said,  ''Mother,  fetch  a  plate,  see 
what  I  have  brought  you."  And  shaking  her  hands  she 
showered  down  such  a  choice  dinner  as  never  was  seen 
before. 

Then  Star  turned  to  Sun  and  spoke  thus,  ''  Because 
you  went  out  to  amuse  yourself  with  your  friends,  and 
feasted  and  enjoyed  yourself,  without  any  thought  of  your 
mother  at  home — you  shall  be  cursed.  Henceforth,  ^our 
rays  shall  ever  be  hot  and  scorching,  and  shall  burn  all  that 
they  touch.  And  men  shall  hate  you,  and  cover  their 
heads  when  you  appear." 

(And  that  is  why  the  Sun  is  so  hot  to  this  day.) 

Then  she  turned  to  Wind  and  said,  ''  You  also  who 
forgot  your  mother  in  the  midst  of  your  selfish  pleasures — 
hear  your  doom.  You  shall  always  blow  in  the  hot  dry 
weather,  and  shall  parch  and  shrivel  all  living  things. 
And  men  shall  detest'  and  avoid  you  from  this  very 
time." 


2  20  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

(And  that  is  why  the  Wind  in  the  hot  weather  is  still  so 
disagreeable.) 

But  to  Moon  she  said,  ^*  Daughter,  because  you  remem- 
bered your  mother,  and  kept  for  her  a  share  in  your  own 
enjoyment,  from  henceforth  you  shall  be  ever  cool,  and 
calm,  and  bright.  No  noxious  glare  shall  accompany  your 
pure  rays,  and  men  shall  always  call  you  '  blessed.'  " 

(And  that  is  why  the  moon's  light  is  so  soft*,  and  cool, 
and  beautiful  even  to  this  day.) 


i 


How  the  Wicked   Sons  were 

« 

Duped. 

VERY  wealthy  old  man,  imagining  that 
he  was  on  the  point  of  death,  sent  for 
his  sons  and  divided  his  property  among 
them.  However,  he  did  not  die  for 
several  years  afterwards  ;  and  miserable 
years  many  of  them  were.  Besides  the 
weariness  of  old  age,  the  old  fellow  had  to  bear  with  much 
abuse  and  cruelty  from  his  sons.  Wretched,  selfish  ingrates  ! 
Previously  they  vied  with  one  another  in  trying  to  please 
their  father,  hoping  thus  to  receive  more  money,  but  now 
they  had  received  their  patrimony,  they  cared  not  how  soon 
he  left  them — nay,  the  sooner  the  better,  because  he  was 
only  a  needless  trouble  and  expense.  And  they  let  the 
poor  old  man  know  what  they  felt. 

One  day  he  met  a  friend  and  related  to  him  all  his 
troubles.  The  friend  sympathised  very  much  with  him, 
and  promised  to  think  over  the  matter,  and  call  in  a  little 
while  and  tell  him  what  to  do.  He  did  so ;  in  a  few  days 
he  visited  the  old  man  and  put  down  four  bags  full  of  stones 
and  gravel  before  him. 


22  2  Indian   Fairy  Tales 

"  Look  here,  friend,"  said  he.  ''  Your  sons  will  get  to 
know  of  my  coming  here  to-day,  and  will  inquire  about  it. 
You  must  pretend  that  I  came  to  discharge  a  long-standing 
debt  with  you,  and  that  you  are  several  thousands  of  rupees 
richer  than  you  thought  you  were.  Keep  these  bags  in 
your  own  hands,  and  on  no  account  let  your  sons  get  to 
them  as  long  as  you  are  alive.  You  will  soon  find  them 
change  their  conduct  towards  you.  Salaam.  I  will  come 
again  soon  to  see  how  you  are  getting  on." 

When  the  young  men  got  to  hear  of  this  further  increase 
of  wealth  they  began  to  be  more  attentive  and  pleasing  to 
their  father  than  ever  before.  And  thus  they  continued 
to  the  day  of  the  old  man's  demise,  when  the  bags  were 
greedily  opened,  and  found  to  contain  only  stones  and 
gravel ! 


The  Piffeon  and  the  Crow 


NCE  upon  a  time  the  Bodhisatta  was  a 
Pigeon,  and  lived  in  a  nest-basket  which 
a  rich  man's  cook  had  hung  up  in  the 
kitchen,  in  order  to  earn  merit  by  it.  A 
greedy  Crow,  flying  near,  saw  all  sorts 
of  delicate  food  lying  about  in  the 
kitchen,  and  fell  a-hungering  after  it.  "  How  in  the  world 
can  I  get  some  ? "  thought  he  ?  At  last  he  hit  upon  a 
plan. 

When  the  Pigeon  went  to  search  for  food,  behind  him, 
following,  following,  came  the  Crow. 

"  What  do  you  want,  Mr.  Crow  ?  You  and  I  don't  feed 
alike." 

"Ah,  but  I  like  you  and  your  ways!  Let  me  be  your 
chum,  and  let  us  feed  together." 

The  Pigeon  agreed,  and  they  went  on  in  company.  The 
Crow  pretended  to  feed  along  with  the  Pigeon,  but  ever 
and  anon  he  would  turn  back,  peck  to  bits  some  heap  of 
cow-dung,  and  eat  a  fat  worm.  When  he  had  got  a  bellyful 
of  them,  up  he  flies,  as  pert  as  you  like  : 

**  Hullo,  Mr.   Pigeon,  what  a  time  you  take   over  your 


2  24  Indian  Fairy  Tales 

meal !  One  ought  to  draw  the  line  somewhere.  Let's  be 
going  home  before  it  is  too  late."      And  so  they  did. 

The  cook  saw  that  his  Pigeon  had  brought  a  friend,  and 
hung  up  another  basket  for  him. 

A  few  days  afterwards  there  was  a  great  purchase  of 
fish  which  came  to  the  rich  man's  kitchen.  How  the  Crow 
longed  for  some !  So  there  he  lay,  from  early  morn, 
groaning  and  making  a  great  noise.  Says  the  Pigeon  to 
the  Crow  : 

*'  Come,  Sir  Crow,  and  get  your  breakfast !  " 

"  Oh  dear  !  oh  dear  !  I  have  such  a  fit  of  indigestion  !  " 
says  he. 

"  Nonsense  !  Crows  never  have  indigestion,"  said  the 
Pigeon.  *'  If  you  eat  a  lamp-wick,  that  stays  in  your 
stomach  a  little  while  ;  but  anything  else  is  digested  in  a 
trice,  as  soon  as  you  eat  it.  Now  do  what  I  tell  you ; 
don't  behave  in  this  way  just  for  seeing  a  httle  fish." 

"  Why  do  you  say  that,  master  ?      I  have  indigestion." 

"Well,  be  careful,"  said  the  Pigeon,  and  flew  away. 

The  cook  prepared  all  the  dishes,  and  then  stood  at  the 
kitchen  door,  wiping  the  sweat  off"  his  body.  "  Now's  my 
time !  "  thought  Mr.  Crow,  and  alighted  on  a  dish  containing 
some  dainty  food.  Click  !  The  cook  heard  it,  and  looked 
round.  Ah !  he  caught  the  Crow,  and  plucked  all  the 
feathers  out  of  his  head,  all  but  one  tuft  ;  he  powdered 
ginger  and  cummin,  mixed  it  up  with  butter-milk,  a:nd 
rubbed  it  well  all  over  the  bird's  body. 

^'That's  for  spoiling  my  master's  dinner  and  making  me 
throw  it  away  !  "  said  he,  and  threw  him  into  his  basket. 
Oh,  how  it  hurt ! 

By-and-by  the  Pigeon  came  in,  and  saw  the  Crow  lying 


I 


The   Pigeon  and  the   Crow      225 


there,  making  a  great  noise.    He  made  great  game  of  him,  and 
repeated  a  verse  of  poetry  : 

.'^Who  is  this  tufted  crane  I  see 
Lying  where  he's  no  right  to  be  ? 
Come  out !  my  friend,  the  crow  is  near, 
And  he  may  do  you  harm,  I  fear  !  " 

To  this  the  Crow  answered  with  another  : 

"  No  tufted  crane  am  I — no,  no  ! 
I'm  nothing  but  a  greedy  crow. 
I  would  not  do  as  I  was  told, 
So  now  I'm  plucked,  as  you  behold." 

And  the  Pigeon  rejoined  with  a  third  verse  : 

'*  You'll  come  to  grief  again,  I  know — 
It  is  your  nature  to  do  so  ; 
If  people  make  a  dish  of  meat, 
'Tis  not  for  httle  birds  to  eat." 

Then  the  Pigeon  flew  away,  saying  :  "  I  can't  live  with 
this  creature  any  longer."  And  the  Crow  lay  there  groaning 
till  he  died. 


Notes  and  References 


The  story  literature  of  India  is  in  a  large  measure  the  outcome  of  the 
moral  revolution  of  the  peninsula  connected  with  the  name  of  Gautama 
Buddha.  As  the  influence  of  his  life  and  doctrines  grew,  a  tendency 
arose  to  connect  all  the  popular  stories  of  India  round  the  great 
teacher.  This  could  be  easily  effected  owing  to  the  wide  spread  of  the 
belief  in  metempsychosis.  All  that  was  told  of  the  sages  of  the 
past  could  be  interpreted  of  the  Buddha  by  representing  them  as  pre- 
incarnations  of  him.  Even  with  Fables,  or  beast-tales,  this  could  be 
done,  for  the  Hindoos  were  Darwinists  long  before  Darwin,  and  re- 
garded beasts  as  cousins  of  men  and  stages  of  development  in  the 
progress  of  the  soul  through  the  ages.  Thus,  by  identifying  the 
Buddha  with  the  heroes  of  all  folk-tales  and  the  chief  characters  in 
the  beast-drolls,  the  Buddhists  were  enabled  to  incorporate  the  whc.le 
of  the  story-store  of  Hindostan  in  their  sacred  books,  and  enlist  on 
their  side  the  tale-telling  instincts  of  men. 

In  making  Buddha  the  centre  figure  of  the  popular  literature  of 
India,  his  followers  also  invented  the  Frame  as  a  method  of  literary 
art.  The  idea  of  connecting  a  number  of  disconnected  stories  familiar 
to  us  from  The  Arabiaji  Nights,  Boccaccio's  Decamerouc,  Chaucer's 
Cantc7'lmry  Tales,  or  even  Pickivick,  is  directly  traceable  to  the  plan 
of  making  Buddha  the  central  figure  of  India  folk-literature.  Curiously 
enough,  the  earliest  instance  of  this  in  Buddhist  literature  was  in- 
tended to  be  a  Decameron,  ten  tales  of  Buddha's  previous  births,  told 
of  each  of  the  ten  Perfections.  Asvagosha,  the  earlier  Boccaccio,  died 
when  he  had  completed  thirty-four  of  the  Birth-Tales.  But  other 
collections  were  made,  and  at  last  a  corpus  of  the  Jatakas,  or  Birth- 
Tales  of  the  Buddha,  was  carried  over  to  Ceylon,  possibly  as  early  as 
the  first  introduction  of  Buddhism,  241  B.C.  There  they  have  re- 
mained till  the  present  day,  and  have  at  last  been  made  accessible  in 
a  complete  edition  in  the  original  Pali  by  Prof.  FausboU. 


2  28  Notes  and  References 

These  Jatakas,  as  we  now  have  them,  are  enshrined  in  a  com- 
mentary on  the  gathas,  or  moral  verses,  written  in  Ceylon  by  one  of 
Buddhaghosa's  school  in  the  fifth  century  a.d.  They  invariably 
begin  with  a  "  Story  of  the  Present,  an  incident  in  Buddha's  life  which 
calls  up  to  him  a  "  Story  of  the  Past,"  a  folk-tale  in  which  he  had 
played  a  part  during  one  of  his  former  incarnations.  Thus  the  fable 
of  the  Lion  and  the  Crane,  which  opens  the  present  collection,  is  intro- 
duced by  a  "  Story  of  the  Present "  in  the  following  words  : — 

"A  service  have  we  done  thee"  [the  opening  words  oi  t\\Q gat/ia  or 
moral  verse].  "  This  the  Master  told  while  living  at  Jetavana  concern- 
mg  Devadatta's  treachery.  Not  only  now,  O  Bhickkus,  but  in  a  former 
existence  was  Devadatta  ungrateful.  And  having  said  this  he  told  a 
tale."  Then  follows  the  tale  as  given  above  (pp.  i,  2),  and  the  com- 
mentary concludes  :  "The  Master,  having  given  the  lesson,  summed  up 
the  Jataka  thus  :  '  At  that  time,  the  Lion  was  Devadatta,  and  the 
Crane  was  I  myself.'  "  Similarly,  with  each  story  of  the  past  the 
Buddha  identifies  himself,  or  is  mentioned  as  identical  with,  the 
virtuous  hero  of  the  folk-tale.  These  Jatakas  are  550  in  number, 
and  have  been  reckoned  to  include  some  2000  tales.  Some  of  these 
had  been  translated  by  Mr.  Rhys-Davids  {Buddhist  Birth  Stories^  /., 
Triibner's  Oriental  Library,  1880),  Prof.  Fausboll  {Five  Jatakas^ 
Copenhagen),  and  Dr.  R.  Morris  {Folk-Lore  JotLnial,  vols,  ii.-v.).  A 
few  exist  sculptured  on  the  earliest  Buddhist  Stupas.  Thus  several 
of  the  circular  figure  designs  on  the  reliefs  from  Amaravati,  now  on  the 
grand  staircase  of  the  British  Museum,  represent  Jatakas,  or  previous 
births  of  the  Buddha. 

Some  of  the  Jatakas  bear  a  remarkable  resemblance  to  some  of  the 
most  familiar  Fables  of  ^sop.  So  close  is  the  resemblance,  indeed, 
that  it  is  impossible  not  to  surmise  an  historical  relation  between  the 
two.  What  this  relation  is  I  have  discussed  at  considerable  length  in 
the  "  History  of  the  yEsopic  Fable,"  which  forms  the  introductory 
volume  to  my  edition  of  Caxton's  Esope  (London,  D.  Nutt, 
"  Bibliotheque  de  Carabas,"  1889).  I"  ^his  place  I  can  only  roughly 
summarise  my  results.  I  conjecture  that  a  collection  of  fables  existed 
in  India  before  Buddha  and  independently  of  the  Jatakas,  and  con- 
nected with  the  name  of  Kasyapa,  who  was  afterwards  made  by  the 
Buddhists  into  the  latest  of  the  twenty-seven  pre-incarnations  of  the 
Buddha.  This  collection  of  the  Fables  of  Kasyapa  was  brought  to 
Europe  with  a  deputation  from  the  Cingalese  King  Chandra  Muka 
Sivva  (obiit  52  A.D.)  to  the  Emperor  Claudius  about  50  A.D.,  and 
was  done  into  Greek  as  the  Aoyoi  Av^ikoI  of  "  Kybises."  These  were 
utilised  by  Babrius  (from  whom  the  Greek  ^sop  is  derived)  and  Avian, 


Notes  and  References  229 

and  so  came  into  the  European  rEsop.  I  have  discussed  all  those 
that  are  to  be  found  in  the  Jatakas  in  the  "  History  "  before  mentioned, 
i.  pp.  54-72  (see  Notes  i.  xv.  xx.).  In  these  Notes  henceforth  I  refer  to 
this  "  History"  as  my  ^-Esop. 

There  were  probably  other  Buddhist  collections  of  a  similar  nature 
to  the  Jatakas  wiih  a  framework.  When  the  Hindu  reaction  against 
Buddhism  came,  the  Brahmins  adapted  these,  with  the  omission  of 
Buddha  as  the  central  figure.  There  is  scarcely  any  doubt  that  the  so- 
called  Fables  of  Bidpai  were  thus  derived  from  Buddhistic  sources. 
In  its  Indian  form  this  is  now  extant  as  a  Panchatantra  or  Pentateuch, 
five  books  of  tales  connected  by  a  Frame.  This  collection  is  of 
special  interest  to  us  in  the  present  connection,  as  it  has  come  to 
Europe  in  various  forms  and  shapes.  I  have  edited  Sir  Thomas 
North's  English  version  of  an  Italian  adaptation  of  a  Spanish  trans- 
lation of  a  Latin  version  of  a  Hebrew  translation  of  an  Arabic  adap- 
tation of  the  Pehlevi  version  of  the  Indian  original  {Fables  of  Bidpai^ 
London,  D.  Nutt,  "  Bibliotheque  de  Carabas,"  1888).  In  this  I 
give  a  genealogical  table  of  the  various  versions,  irom  which  I 
calculate  that  the  tales  have  been  translated  into  thirty-eight 
languages  in  112  different  versions,  twenty  different  ones  in  Eng- 
lish alone.  Their  influence  on  European  folk-tales  has  been  very 
great :  it  is  probable  that  nearly  one-tenth  of  these  can  be  traced  to 
the  Bidpai  literature.     (See  Notes  v.  ix.  x.  xiii.  xv.) 

Other  collections  of  a  similar  character,  arranged  in  a  frame,  and 
derived  ultimately  from  Buddiiistic  sources,  also  reached  Europe  and 
formed  popular  reading  in  the  Middle  Ages.  Among  these  may  be 
mentioned  The  Tales  of  Sindibad,  known  to  Europe  as  The  Seven 
Sages  of  Rome :  from  this  we  get  the  Gellert  story  {cf  Celtic  Fairy 
Tales),  though  it  also  occurs  in  the  Bidpai.  Another  popular  collection 
was  that  associated  with  the  life  of  St.  Buddha,  who  has  been  canon- 
ised as  St.  Josaphat:  Barlaam  and  Josaphat  tells  of  his  conversion 
and  much  else  besides,  including  the  tale  of  the  Three  Caskets,  used 
by  Shakespeare  in  the  Merchant  of  Venice. 

Some  of  the  Indian  tales  reached  Europe  at  the  time  of  the 
Crusades,  either  orally  or  in  collections  no  longer  extant.  The  earliest 
selection  of  these  was  the  Disciplina  Clericalis  of  Petrus  Alphonsi,  a 
Spanish  Jew  converted  about  1106:  his  tales  were  to  be  used  as 
seasoning  for  sermons,  and  strong  seasoning  they  must  have  proved. 
Another  Spanish  collection  of  considerably  later  date  was  entitled 
El  Conde  Lucanor  (Eng.  trans,  by  W.  York)  :  this  contains  the  fable 
of  The  Man,  his  Son,  and  their  Ass,  wiiich  they  ride  or  carry  as  the 
popular  voice  decides.     But  the  most  famous  collection  of  this  kind 


230  Notes  and   References 

was  that  known  as  Gesta  Romanokum,  much  of  which  was  certainly 
derived  from  Oriental  and  ultimately  Indian  sources,  and  so  might 
more  appropriately  be  termed  Gcsta  Indorum. 

All  these  collections,  which  reached  Europe  in  the  twelfth  and 
thirteenth  centuries,  became  very  popular,  and  were  used  by  monks 
and  friars  to  tnliven  their  sermons  as  Exempla.  Prof.  Crane  has 
gi\  en  a  full  account  of  this  very  curious  phenomenon  in  his  erudite 
ediiion  of  the  Exempla  of  Jacques  de  Vitry  (Folk  Lore  Society,  1890). 
The  Indian  stories  were  also  used  by  the  Italian  Novellieri^  much  of 
Boccaccio  imd  his  school  being  derived  from  this  source.  As  these 
again  gave  material  for  the  Elizabethan  Drama,  chiefly  in  W.  Painter's 
Palace  of  Pleasure^  a  collection  of  translated  iXovclle  which  I  have 
edited  (Lond.,  3  vols.  1890),  it  is  not  surprising  that  we  can  at  times 
trace  portions  of  Shakespeare  back  to  India.  It  should  also  be  men- 
tioned that  one-half  of  La  Fontaine's  FabLesi  (Bks.  vii.-xii.)  are 
derived  from  Indian  sources.     {See  Note  on  No.  v.) 

In  India  itself  the  collection  of  stories  in  frames  went  on  and  stiil 
goes  on.  Besides  those  already  mentioned  there  are  the  stories  of 
Vikram  and  the  Vampire  (Vetala),  translated  among  oihers  by  the  late 
Sir  Richard  Burton,  and  the  seveniy  stories  of  a  parrot  {Sitka  Saptati). 
The  whole  of  this  literature  was  summed  up  by  Somadeva,  c.  1200  a.d. 
in  a  huge  compilation  entitled  Katha  Sarit  Saj>ara  ("  Ocean  of  the 
Stream  of  Stories").  Of  this  work,  written  in  very  florid  style, 
Mr.  Tawney  has  produced  a  translation  in  two  volumes  in  the  Biblio- 
theca  Indica.  Unfortunately,  there  is  a  Divorce  Court  atmosphere 
about  the  whole  book,  and  my  selections  irom  it  have  been  accordingly 
restricted.     (Notes,  No.  xi.) 

So  much  for  a  short  sketch  of  Indian  folk-tales  so  far  as  they  have 
been  reduced  to  writing  in  the  native  literature.*  The  Jatakas  are 
probably  the  oldest  collection  of  such  tales  in  literature,  and  the 
greater  part  of  the  rest  are  demonstrably  more  than  a  thousand  years 
old.  It  is  certain  that  much  (perhaps  one-fifth)  of  the  popular  literature 
of  modern  Europe  is  derived  from  those  portions  of  this  large  bulk 
which  came  west  with  the  Crusades  through  the  medium  of  Arabs  and 
Jews.  In  his  elaborate  Einleitiuig  \.q>  the  Paiitschatantra^  the  Indian 
version  of  the  Fables  of  Bidpai,  Prof.  Benfey  contended  with  enormous 
erudition  that  the  majority  of  folk-tale  incidents  were  to  be  found  in  the 
Bidpai    literature.      His  introduction   consisted  of  over  200  mono- 


*  An  admirable  and  full  account  of  this  literature  was  given  by  M.  A.  Barth  in 
Mdlusine,  t.  iv.  No.  12,  and  t.  v.  No.  i.  See  also  Table  i.  of  Prof.  Rhys-Davids' 
Birth  Stories. 


Notes  and  References  231 

graphs  on  the  spread  of  Indian  tales  to  Europe.  He  wrote  in  1859, 
before  the  great  outburst  of  folk-tale  collection  in  Europe,  and  he  had 
not  thus  adequate  materials  to  go  about  in  deiermining  the  extent  of 
Indian  influence  on  the  popular  mind  of  Europe.  But  he  made  it 
clear  that  for  beast-tales  and  for  drolls,  the  majority  of  those  current 
in  the  mouths  of  occidental  people  were  derived  from  Eastern  and  mainly 
Indian  sources.  He  was  not  successful,  in  my  opinion,  in  tracing  the 
serious  fairy  tale  to  India.  Few  of  the  tales  in  the  Indian  literary 
collections  could  be  dignified  by  the  name  of  fairy  tales,  and  it  was 
clear  that  if  these  were  to  be  traced  to  India,  an  examination  of  the 
contemporary  folk-tales  of  the  peninsula  would  have  to  be  attempted. 

The  collection  of  current  Indian  folk-tales  has  been  the  work  of  the 
last  quarter  of  a  century,  a  work,  even  after  what  has  been  achieved, 
still  in  its  initial  stages.  '1  he  credit  of  having  begun  the  process  is 
due  to  Miss  Frere,  who,  while  her  father  was  Governor  of  the  Bombay 
Presidency,  took  down  from  the  lips  of  her  ayah^  Anna  de  Souza,  one 
of  a  Lingact  family  from  Goa  who  had  been  Christian  for  three 
generations,  the  tales  she  afterwards  published  with  Mr.  Murray  in 
1868,  under  the  title,  "  Old  Decca?t  Days,  or,  Indian  Fairy  Legends 
current  in  Soiithern  India,  collected  from  oral  tradition  by  M.  Frere, 
with  an  introduction  and  7totes  by  Sir  Bar  tic  Frere  ^  Her  example 
was  followed  by  Miss  Stokes  in  her  Indian  Fairy  Tales  (London, 
Ellis  &  White,  1880),  who  took  down  her  tales  from  two  ayahs  and  a 
Khitniatgar,  all  of  them  Bengalese — the  ayahs  Hindu?,  and  the  man  a 
Mohammedan.  Mr.  Ralston  introduced  the  volume  with  some  re- 
marks which  dealt  too  much  with  sun-myths  for  present-day  taste. 
Another  collection  from  Bengal  was  that  of  Lai  Behati  Day,  a  Hindu 
gentleman,  in  his  Folk-Tales  of  Bengal  (London,  Macmillan,  1883). 
The  Panjab  and  the  Kashmir  then  had  their  turn  :  Mrs.  Steel  col- 
lected, and  Capiain  (now  Major)  Temple  edited  and  annotated,  their 
Wideawake  Stories  (London,  Triibner,  1884),  stories  capitally  told 
and  admirably  annotated.  Captain  Temple  increased  the  value  of 
this  collection  by  a  remarkable  analysis  of  all  the  incidents  contained 
in  the  two  hundred  Indian  folk-tales  collected  up  to  this  date.  It  is 
not  too  much  to  say  that  this  analysis  marks  an  onward  step  in  the 
scientific  study  of  the  folk-tale :  there  is  such  a  thing,  derided  as  it 
may  be.  I  have  throughout  the  Notes  been  able  to  draw  attention  to 
Indian  parallels  by  a  simple  reference  to  Major  Temple's  Analysis. 

Major  Temple  has  not  alone  himself  collected :  he  has  been  the 
cause  that  many  others  have  collected.  In  the  pages  of  the  Indian 
Antiquary,  edited  by  him,  there  have  appeared  from  time  to  time  folk- 
tales collected  from  all  parts   of  India.     Some  of  these   have   been 


232  Notes  and   References 

issued  separately.  Sets  of  tales  from  Southern  India,  collected  bv 
the  Pandit  Natesa  Sastri,  have  been  issued  under  the  title  Folk- 
Lore  of  Souther7i  India,  three  fascicules  of  which  have  been  recently 
re-issued  by  Mrs.  Kingscote  under  the  title,  Tales  of  the  Sun  (W.  H. 
Allen,  1891)  :  it  would  have  been  well  if  the  identity  of  the  two  works 
had  been  clearly  explained.  The  largest  addition  to  our  knowledge 
of  the  Indian  folk-tale  that  has  been  made  since  Wideawake  Stories 
is  that  contained  in  Mr.  Knowles'  Folk-Tales  of  Kashmir  (Triibner's 
Oriental  Library,  1887),  sixty-three  stories,  some  of  great  length.  These, 
with  Mr.  Campbell's  Santal  Tales  {i^()2)  ;  Ramaswami  Raju's  Indian 
/vz^^/^i- (London,  Sonnenschein,  n.d.);  M.  ThoxwhiW^  l7tdia?t  Fairy  Tales 
(London,  1889)  '■>  ^^^  E.  J.  Robinson,  Tales  of  S.  India  (iSS^),  together 
with  those  contained  in  books  of  travel  like  Thornton's  Bannu  or 
Smeaton's  Karens  of  Burjnah  bring  up  the  list  of  printed  Indian  folk- 
tales to  over  350 — a  respectable  total  indeed,  but  a  mere  drop  in  the 
the  ocean  of  the  stream  of  stories  that  must  exist  in  such  a  huge 
population  as  that  of  India :  the  Central  Provinces  in  particular  are 
practically  unexplored.  There  are  doubtless  many  collections  still 
unpublished.  Col.  Lewin  has  large  numbers,  besides  the  few 
published  in  his  Lushai  Grammar;  and  Mr.  M.  L.  Dames  has  a 
number  of  Baluchi  tales  which  I  have  been  privileged  to  use. 
Altogether,  India  now  ranks  among  the  best  represented  countries 
for  printed  folk-tales,  coming  only  after  Russia  (1500),  Germany  (1200), 
Italy  and  France  (1000  each.)*  Counting  the  ancient  with  the  modern, 
India  has  probably  some  600  to  700  folk-tales  printed  and  translated  in 
accessible  form.  There  should  be  enough  material  to  determine  the 
vexed  question  of  the  relations  between  the  European  and  the  Indian 
collections. 

This  question  has  taken  a  new  departure  with  the  researches  of  M. 
Emanuel  Cosquin  in  his  Cojites popidaires  de  Lorraine  {Vans,  1886,  2" 
tirage,  1890),  undoubtedly  the  most  important  contribution  to  the  scien- 
tific study  of  the  folk-tale  since  the  Grimms.  M.  Cosquin  gives  in  the 
annotations  to  the  eighty-four  tales  which  he  has  collected  in  Lorraine 
a  mass  of  information  as  to  the  various  forms  which  the  tales  take  in 
other  countries  of  Europe  and  in  the  East.  In  my  opinion,  the  work 
he  has  done  for  the  European  folk-tale  is  even  more  valuable  than  the 
conclusions  he  draws  from  it  r.s  to  the  relations  with  India.  He  has 
taken  up  the  work  which  Wilhelm  Grimm  dropped  in  1859,  and  shown 
from  the  huge  accumulations  of  folk-tales  that  have  appeared  during 
the  last  thirty  years  that  there  is  a  common  fund  of  folk-tales  which 

«  Finland  boasts  of  12,000,  but  most  of  these  lie  unprinted  among  the  archives  of 
the  Helsingfors  Literary  Society. 


Notes  and   References  233 

every  country  of  Europe  without  exception  possesses,  though  this  does 
not  of  course  preclude  them  from  possessing  others  that  are  not  shared 
by  the  rest.  M.  Cosquin  further  contends  that  the  whole  of  these  have 
come  from  the  East,  ultimately  from  India,  not  by  literary  transmission, 
as  Benfey  contended,  but  by  oral  transmission.  He  has  certainly 
shown  that  very  many  of  the  most  striking  incidents  common  to 
European  folk-tales  are  also  to  be  found  in  Eastern  juahrchen.  What^ 
however,  he  has  failed  to  show  is  that  some  of  these  may  not  have  been 
carried  out  to  the  Eastern  world  by  Europeans.  Borrowing  tales  is  a 
mutual  process,  and  when  Indian  meets  European,  European  meets 
Indian  ;  which  borrowed  from  which,  is  a  question  which  we  have 
very  few  criteria  to  decide.  It  should  be  added  that  Mr  W.  A. 
Clouston  has  in  England  collected  with  exemplary  industry  a  large 
number  of  parallels  between  Indian  and  European  folk-tale  incidents  in 
his  Popular  Tales  and  Fictio7is  (Edinburgh,  2  vols.,  1887)  and  Book  of 
Noodles  (London,  1888).  Mr  Clouston  has  not  openly  expressed  his 
conviction  that  all  folk-tales  are  Indian  in  origin:  he  prefers  to  con- 
vince us  non  vi  sed  scepe  cadeiido.  He  has  certainly  made  out  a  good 
case  for  tracing  all  European  drolls,  or  comic  folk-tales,  from  the  East. 

With  the  fairy  tale  strictly  so  called—/.^.,  the  serious  folk-tale  of 
romantic  adventure — I  am  more  doubtful.  It  is  mainly  a  modern 
product  in  India  as  in  Europe,  so  far  as  literary  evidence  goes.  The 
vast  bulk  of  the  Jatakas  does  not  contain  a  single  example  worthy  the 
name,  nor  does  the  Bidpai  literature.  Some  of  Somadeva's  tales,  how- 
ever, approach  the  nature  of  fairy  tale?,  but  there  are  several  Celtic 
tales  which  can  be  traced  to  an  earlier  date  than  his  (1200  a.d.)  and 
are  equally  near  to  fairy  tales.  Yet  it  is  dangerous  to  trust  to  mere 
non-appearance  in  literature  as  proof  of  non-existence  among  the  folk. 
To  take  our  own  tales  here  in  England,  there  is  not  a  single  instance 
of  a  reference  to  Jack  and  the  Beanstalk  for  the  last  three  hundred 
years,  yet  it  is  undoubtedly  a  true  folk-tale.  And  it  is  indeed  remark- 
able how  many  of  \.\\q  formula;  of  fairy  tales  have  been  found  of  recent 
years  in  India.  Thus,  the  Magic  Fiddle,  found  among  the  Santals  by 
Mr.  Campbell  in  two  variants  (see  Notes  on  vi.),  contains  the  germ  idea 
of  the  wide-spread  story  represented  in  Great  Britain  by  the  ballad  of 
Binnorie  (see  English  Fairy  Tales,  No.  ix.).  Similarly,  Mr.  Knowles' 
collection  has  added  considerably  to  the  number  of  Indian  variants  of 
European  "formuliE"  beyond  those  noted  by  M.  Cosquin. 

It  is  still  more  striking  as  regards  incidents.  In  a  paper  read  before 
the  Folk-Lore  Congress  of  1891,  and  reprinted  in  the  Transactions^  pp. 
76  seq,^  I  have  drawn  up  a  list  of  some  630  incidents  found  in  common 
among  European  folk-tales  (including  drolls).     Of  these,  I  reckon  that 


2  34  Notes  and  References 

about  250  have  been  already  found  among  Indian  folk-tales,  and  the 
number  is  increased  by  each  new  collection  that  is  made  or  printed. 
The  moral  of  this  is,  that  India  belongs  to  a  group  of  peoples  who 
have  a  common  store  of  stories  ;  India  belongs  to  Europe  for  purposes 
of  comparative  folk-tales. 

Can  we  go  further  and  say  that  India  is  the  source  of  all  the  incidents 
that  are  held  in  common  by  European  children  .'*  I  think  we  may 
answer  "Yes"  as  regards  droll  incidents,  the  travels  of  many  of  which 
we  can  trace,  and  we  have  the  curious  result  that  European  children 
owe  their  earliest  laughter  to  Hindu  wags.  As  regards  the  serious 
incidents  further  inquiry  is  needed.  Thus,  we  find  the  incident  of  an 
"external  soul"  (Life  Index,  Captain  Temple  very  appropriately 
named  it)  in  Asbjornsen's  Norse  Tales  and  in  Miss  Frere's  Old  Deccan 
Days  (see  Notes  on  Pitnchki?t).  Yet  the  latter  is  a  very  suspicious 
source,  since  Miss  Frere  derived  her  tales  from  a  Christian  ayahvfhosQ 
family  had  been  in  Portuguese  Goa  for  a  hundred  years.  May  they 
not  have  got  the  story  of  the  giant  with  his  soul  outside  his  body 
from  some  European  sailor  touching  at  Goa  ?  This  is  to  a  certain  extent 
negatived  by  the  fact  of  the  frequent  occurrence  of  the  incident  in  Indian 
folk-tales  (Captain  Temple  gave  a  large  number  of  instances  in 
Wideawake  Stories,  pp.  404-5).  On  the  other  hand,  Mr.  Frazer  in 
his  Golden  Bough  has  shown  the  wide  spread  of  the  idea  among  all 
savage  or  semi-savage  tribes.     (See  Note  on  No.  iv.) 

In  this  particular  case  we  may  be  doubtful;  but  in  others,  again— as 
the  incident  of  the  rat's  tail  up  nose  (see  Notes  on  T/ie  Charmed 
Ring) — there  can  be  little  doubt  of  the  Indian  origin.  And  generally, 
so  far  as  the  incidents  are  marvellous  and  of  true  fairy-tale  character, 
the  presumption  is  in  favour  of  India,  because  of  the  vitality  of 
animism  or  metempsychosis  in  India  throughout  all  historic  time. 
No  Hindu  would  doubt  the  fact  of  animals  speaking  or  of  men  trans- 
formed into  plants  and  animals.  The  European  may  once  have  had 
these  behels,  and  may  still  hold  them  implicitly  as  "  survivals*' ;  but  in 
the  "  survival "  stage  they  cannot  afford  material  for  artistic  creation, 
and  the  fact  that  the  higher  minds  of  Europe  for  the  last  thousand 
years  have  discountenanced  these  beliefs  has  not  been  entirely  without 
influence.  Of  one  thing  there  is  practical  certainty  :  the  fairy  tales 
that  are  common  to  the  Indo-European  world  were  invented  once  for 
all  in  a  certain  locaHty,  and  thence  spread  to  all  the  countries  in  culture 
contact  with  the  original  source.  The  mere  fact  that  contiguous 
countries  have  more  similarities  in  their  story  store  than  distant 
ones  is  sufficient  to  prove  this  :  indeed,  the  fact  that  any  single  country 
has  spread  throughout   it   a   definite  set  of  folk-tales  as  distinctive 


Notes  and  References  235 

as  its  flora  and  fauna,  is  sufficient  to  prove  it.  It  is  equally  certain 
that  not  all  folk-tales  have  come  from  one  source,  for  each  country 
has  tales  peculiar  to  itself  The  question  is  as  to  the  source  of  the 
tales  that  are  common  to  all  European  children,  and  increasing 
evidence  seems  to  show  that  this  common  nucleus  is  derived  from 
India  and  India  alone.  The  Hindus  have  been  more  successful  than 
others,  because  of  two  facts  :  they  have  had  the  appropriate  "atmo- 
sphere" of  metempsychosis,  and  they  have  also  had  spread  among  the 
people  sufficient  hterary  training  and  mental  grip  to  invent  plots.  The 
Hindu  tales  have  ousted  the  native  European,  which  undoubtedly 
existed  independently  ;  indeed,  many  still  survive,  especially  in  Celtic 
lands.  Exactly  in  the  same  way,  Perrault's  tales  have  ousted  the  older 
English  folk-talesy  and  it  is  with  the  utmost  difficulty  that  one  can  get 
true  English  fairy  tales  because  Red  Riding  Hood,  Cinderella,  Blue 
Beard,  Picss  in  Boots  and  the  rest,  have  survived  in  the  struggle  for 
existence  among  English  folk-tales.  So  far  as  Europe  has  a  common 
store  of  fairy  tales,  it  owes  this  to  India. 

I  do  not  wish  to  be  misunderstood.  I  do  not  hold  with  Benfey  that 
all  European  folk-tales  are  derived  from  the  Bidpai  literature  and 
similar  literary  products,  nor  with  M.  Cosquin  that  they  are  all 
derived  from  India.  The  latter  scholar  has  proved  that  there  is  a 
nucleus  of  stories  in  every  European  land  which  is  common  to  all.  I 
calculate  that  this  includes  from  30  to  50  per  cent,  of  the  whole,  and  it 
is  this  common  stock  of  Europe  that  I  regard  as  coming  from  India 
mainly  at  the  time  of  the  Crusades,  and  chiefly  by  oral  transmission. 
It  includes  all  the  beast  tales  and  most  of  the  drolls,  but  evidence  is 
still  lacking  about  the  more  serious  fairy  tales,  though  it  is  increasing 
with  every  fresh  collection  of  folk-tales  in  India,  the  great  importance 
of  which  is  obvious  from  the  above  considerations. 

In  the  following  Notes  I  give,  as  on  the  two  previous  occasions,  the 
source  whence  I  derived  the  tale,  then  parallels,  and  finally  remarks. 
For  Indian  parallels  I  have  been  able  to  refer  to  Major  Temple's 
remarkable  Analysis  of  Indian  Folk-tale  incidents  at  the  end  of  IVide- 
atuake  Stories  (pp.  386-436),  for  European  ones  to  my  alphabetical  List 
of  Incidents,  with  bibliographical  references,  in  Transactions  of  Folk- 
Lore  Congress,  1892,  pp.  87-98.  My  remarks  have  been  mainly  devoted 
to  tracing  the  relation  between  the  Indian  and  the  European  tales,  with 
the  object  of  showing  that  the  latter  have  been  derived  from  the 
former.  I  have,  however,-  to  some  extent  handicapped  myself,  as  I 
have  avoided  giving  again  the  Indian  versions  of  stories  already  given 
in  English  Fairy  Tales  or  Celtic  Fairy  Tales. 


236  Notes  and   References 


I.     THE  LION  AND  THE  CRANE. 

Source— W.  Y2M%ho\\Five  Jdtakas,  Copenhagen,  1861,  pp.  35-8,  text 
and  translation  of  the  Javasakima  Jdtaka.  I  have  ventured  to  EngHsh 
Prof.  P^ausboll's  version,  which  was  only  intended  as  a  "crib"  to  the 
Pali.     For  the  omitted  Introduction,  see  supra. 

Parallels. — I  have  given  a  rather  full  collection  of  parallels,  running 
to  about  a  hundred  numbers,  in  my  .^sop^  pp.  232-4.  The  chief  of  these 
are:  (i)  for  the  East,  the  Midrashic  version  ("  Lion  and  Egyptian  Part- 
ridge "),  in  the  great  Rabbinic  commentary  on  Genesis  {Bereshith- 
rabba,  c.  64) ;  (2)  in  classical  antiquity,  Phasdrus,  i.  8  (  "  Wolf  and 
Crane  "),  and  Babrtus,  94  ("  Wolf  and  Heron  "),  and  the  Greek  proverb 
Suidas,  ii.  248  ("Out  of  the  Wolfs  Mouth")  ;  (3)  in  the  Middle  Ages, 
the  so-called  Greek  ALsop^  ed.  Halm,  276  b^  really  prose  versions  of 
Babrius  and  "  Romulus,"  or  prose  of  Phaedrus,  i.  8,  also  the  Romulus  of 
Ademar(fl.  1030),  64;  it  occurs  also  on  the  Bayeux  Tnpestry,  in  Marie 
de  France,  7,  and  in  Benedict  of  Oxford's  Mishle  Shualim  (Heb.),  8  ; 
(4)  Stainhowel  took  it  from  the  "Romulus"  into  his  German  ^sop 
(1480),  whence  all  the  modern  European  i4isops  are  derived. 

Remarks. — I  have  selected  The   Wolf  and  the  Crane  as  my  typical 
example  in  my  "  History  of  the  ^Esopic  Fable,"  and  can  only  give  here 
a  rough  summary  of  the  results  I  there  arrived  at  concerning  the  fable, 
merely  premising  that  these  results  are  at  present  no  more  than  hypo- 
theses.    The  similarity  of  the  Jataka  form  with  that  familiar  to  us,  and 
derived  by  us  in  the  last  resort  from  Phaedrus,  is  so  striking  that  few 
will  deny  some  historical  relation  between  them.     I  conjecture  that 
the  Fable  originated  in  India,  and  came  West  by  two  different  routes. 
First,  it  came  by  oral  tradition  to  Egypt,  as  one  of  the  Libyan  Fables 
which  the  ancients  themselves  distinguished  from  the  yEsopic  Fables 
It  was,  however,'  included  by  Demetrius  Phalereus,  tyrant  of  Athens, 
and  founder  of  the  Alexandrian  library  c.  300  B.C.,  in  his  Assemblies  of 
.^sopic  Fables,  which  I    have  shown  to  be  the  source  of   Pheedrus' 
Fables  c.  30  a.d.     Besides  this,  it  came  from  Ceylon  in  the  Fables  of 
Kybises — i.e.,  Kasyapa  the   Buddha — c.    50  a.d,   was    adapted  into 
Hebrew,  and  used  for  political  purposes, by  Rabbi  Joshuaben  Chananyah 
in  a  harangue  to  the  Jews  c.  120  a.d.,  begging  them  to  be  patient  while 
within  the  jaws  of  Rome.     The  Hebrew  form  uses  the  lion,  not  the 
wolf,  as  the  ingrate,  which  enables  us  to  decide  on  the  Indian  prove- 
7iance  of  the  Midrashic  version.     It  may  be  remarked  that  the  use  of 
the  lion  in  this  and  other  Jatakas  is  indirectly  a  testimony  to  their 
great  age,  as  the  lion  has  become  rarer  and  rarer  in  India  during 


Notes  and   References  237 

historic  times,  and  is  now  confined  to  the  Gir  forest  of  Kathi^war,  where 
only  a  dozen  specimens  exist,  and  are  strictly  preserved. 

The  verses  at  the  end  are  the  earliest  parts  of  the  Jataka,  being  in 
more  archaic  Pali  than  the  rest:  the  story  is  told  by  the  commentator 
(c.  400  A.D.)  to  illustrate  them.  It  is  probable  that  they  were  brought 
over  on  the  first  introduction  of  Buddhism  into  Ceylon,  c.  241  B.C.  This 
would  give  them  an  age  of  over  two  thousand  years,  nearly  three 
hundred  years  earlier  than  Phaedrus,  from  whom  comes  our  JVolf  and 
Crane. 


II.     PRINCESS  LABAM. 

Source.— y\!\s%  Stokes,  Indian  Fairy  Tales^  No.  xxii.  pp.  153-63,  told 
by  Muniya,  one  of  the  ayahs.  I  have  left  it  unaltered,  except  that  I 
have  replaced  "  God"  by  "  Khuda,"  the  word  originally  used  (see  Notes 
/.  c,  p  237). 

Parallels. — The  tabu,  as  to  a  particular  direction,  occurs  in  other 
Indian  stories  as  well  as  in  European  folk-tales  (see  notes  on  Stokes? 
p.  286).  The  grateful  animals  theme  occurs  in  "  The  Soothsayer's 
Son"  {infra.,  No.  x.),  and  frequently  in  Indian  folk-tales  (see  Temple's 
Analysis,  III.  i.  5-7  ;  Wideawake  Stories.,  pp.  412-3).  The  thorn  in  the 
tiger's  foot  is  especially  common  (Temple,  /.  c,  6,9),  and  recalls  the 
story  of  Androclus,  which  occurs  in  the  derivates  of  Phsedrus,  and  may 
thus  be  Indian  in  origin  (see  Benfey,  Panschatantra,  i.  21 1,  and  the  paral- 
lels given  in  my  .'Esop,  Ro.  iii.  i.  p.  243).  The  theme  is,  however,  equally 
frequent  in  European  folk-tales  :  see  my  List  of  Incidents,  Proc. 
Folk-Lore  Congress,  p.  91,  s.v.  "Grateful  Animals"  and  "Gifts  by 
Grateful  Animals."  Similarly,  the  "  Bride  Wager  "  incident  at  the  end  is 
common  to  a  large  number  of  Indian  and  European  folk-tales  (Temple, 
Analysis,  p.  430;  my  List,  I.e.  sub  voce).  The  tasks  are  also  equally  com- 
mon {cf  "  Battle  of  the  Birds"  in  Celtic  Fairy  Tales),  though  the  exact 
forms  as  given  in  "  Princess  Labam  "  are  not  known  in  Europe. 

Remarks. — We  have  here  a  concrete  instance  of  the  relation  of 
Indian  and  European  fairy-tales.  The  human  mind  may  be  the  same 
everywhere,  but  it  is  not  likely  to  hit  upon  the  sequence  of  incidents, 
Dii'cction  tabu — Grateful  Animals — Bride-wager — Tasks,  by  accident, 
or  independently  :  Europe  must  have  borrowed  from  India,  or  India 
from  Europe.  As  this  must  have  occurred  within  historic  times, 
indeed  within  the  last  thousand  years,  when  even  European  peasants 
are  not  likely  to  have  ifivented,  even  if  they  believed,  in  the  incident 
of  the  grateful  animals,  the  probability  is  in  favour  of  borrowing  from 
India,  possibly  through  the  intermediation  of  Arabs  at  the  time  of  the 


238 


Notes  and  References 


Crusades.     It  is  only  a  probability,  but  we  cannot  in  any  case  reach 
more  than  probability  in  this  matter,  just  at  present. 

III.     LAMBIKIN. 

.S'^/^rt"^.— Steel-Temple,  Wideawake  Stories,  pp.  69-72,  originally 
published  in  bidian  Antiquary,  xii.  175.  The  droll  is  common 
throughout  the  Panjab. 

Parallels. — The  similarity  of  the  concluding  episode  with  the  finish 
of  the  "Three  Little  Pigs"  {Eng.  Fairy  Tales,  No.  xiv.)  In  my  notes 
on  that  droll  I  have  pointed  out  that  the  pigs  were  once  goats  or  kids 
with  "hair  on  their  chinny  chin  chin."  This  brings  the  tale  a  stage 
nearer  to  the  Lambikin. 

Remarks. — The  sniiilarity  of  Pig  No.  3  rolling  down  hill  in  the 
churn  and  the  Lambikin  in  the  Drumikin  can  scarcely  be  accidental, 
tiiough,  it  must  be  confessed,  the  tale  has  undergone  considerable 
modification  before  it  reached  Endand. 


IV.     PUNCHKIN. 

Source. — Miss  Frere,  Old  Deccan  Days,  pp.  1-16,  from  her  ayah, 
Anna  de  Souza,  of  a  Lingaet  family  settled  and  Christianised  at  Goa 
for  three  generations.  I  should  perhaps  add  that  a  Prudhan  is  a 
Prime  Minister,  or  Vizier  ;   Punts  are  the  same,  and  Sirdars,  nobles. 

Parallels. — The  son  of  seven  mothers  is  a  characteristic  Indian  con- 
ception, for  which  see  Notes  on  "The  Son  of  Seven  (2ueens"  in  this 
collection,  No.  xvi.  The  mother  transformed,  envious  stepmother,  ring 
recognition,  are  all  incidents  common  to  East  and  West;  biblio- 
graphical references  for  parallels  may  be  found  under  these  titles  in  my 
List  of  Incidents.  The  external  soul  of  the  ogre  has  been  studied  by 
Mr.  E.  Clodd  in  Folk-Lore  Journal,  vol.  ii.,  "  The  Philosophy  of  Punch- 
kin,"  and  still  more  elaborately  in  the  section,  "  The  External  Soul  in 
Folk-talcs,"  in  Mr.  Frazer's  Golden  Bough,  ii.  pp.  296  326.  See  also 
Major  Temple's  Analysis,  II.  iii.,  Wideawake  Stories,  pp.  404  5,  who 
there  gives  the  Indian  parallels. 

Remarks. — Both  Mr.  Clodd  and  Mr.  Frazer  regard  the  essence  of 
the  tale  to  consist  in  the  conception  of  an  external  soul  or  "life-index," 
and  they  both  trace  in  this  a  "  survival "  of  savage  philosophy,  which  they 
consider  occurs  among  all  men  at  a  certain  stage  of  culture.  But  the 
most  cursory  examination  of  the  sets  of  tales  containing  these  incidents 
in  Mr.  Frazer's  analyses  shows  that  many,  indeed  the  majority,  of  these 


Notes  and  References  239 

tales  cannot  be  independent  of  one  another ;  for  they  contain  not 
alone  the  incident  of  an  external  materialised  soul,  but  the  further  point 
that  this  is  contained  in  something  else,  which  is  enclosed  in  another 
thing,  which  is  again  surrounded  by  a  wrapper.  This  Chinese  l)all 
arrangement  is  found  in  the  Deccan  ("Punchkin")  ;  in  Bengal  (Day, 
Folk-Tales  of  Be?tgal)  ;  in  Russia  (Ralston,  p.  103  seq.,  *'  Koschkei  the 
Deathless,"  also  in  Mr.  Lang's  Red  Fairy  Book)  ;  in  Servia(Mijatovics, 
Servian  Folk-Lore,  p.  172) ;  in  South  Slavonia  (Wratislaw,  p.  225)  ;  in 
Rome  (Miss  Busk,  p.  164);  in  Albania  (Dozon,p.  1-3,2  seq.)  ;  in  Transyl- 
vania (Haltrich,  No.  34);  in  Schleswig-Holstein  (Miillenhoff,  p.  404)  ;  in 
Norway  (Asbjornsen,  No.  36,  ap.  Dasent,  Pop.  Tales,  p.  55, "The  Giant 
who  had  no  Heart  in  his  Body") ;  and  finally,  in  the  Hebrides  (Camp- 
bell, Pop.  Tales,  p.  10,  cf.  Celtic  Fairy  Tales,  No.  xvii.,  "  Sea  Maiden"). 
Here  we  have  the  track  of  this  remarkable  idea  of  an  external  soul 
enclosed  in  a  succession  of  wrappings,  which  we  can  trace  from 
Hindostan  to  the  Hebrides. 

It  is  difificult  to  imagine  that  we  have  not  here  the  actual  migration 
of  the  tale  from  East  to  West.  In  Bengal  we  have  the  soul  "  in  a 
necklace,  in  a  box,  in  the  heart  of  a  boalfish,  in  a  tafik  "  ;  in  Albania  "  it 
is  in  a  pigeon,  in  a  hare,  in  the  silver  tusk  of  a  wild  boar  "  ;  in  Rome  it 
is  "in  a  stone,  in  the  head  of  a  bird,  in  the  head  of  a  leveret,  in  the 
middle  head  of  a  seven-headed  hydra"  ;  in  Russia  "  it  is  in  an  egg,  in  a 
duck,  in  a  hare,  in  a  casket,  in  an  oak"  ;  in  Servia  it  is  "in  a  board,  in 
the  heart  of  a  fox,  in  a  mountain  "  ;  in  Transylvania  "  it  is  in  a  light,  in 
an  Qgg,  in  a  duck,  in  a  pond,  in  a  mountain  ;"  in  Norway  it  is  "  in  an 
egg,  in  a  duck,  in  a  well,  in  a  church,  on  an  island,  in  a  lake  "  ;  in  the 
Hebrides  it  is  "  in  an  egg,  in  the  belly  of  a  duck,  in  the  belly  of  a 
wether,  under  a  flagstone  on  the  threshold."  It  is  impossible  to  imagine 
the  human  mind  independently  imagining  such  bizarre  convolutions. 
They  were  borrowed  from  one  nation  to  the  other,  and  till  we  have 
reason  shown  to  the  contrary,  the  original  lender  was  a  Hindu.  I  should 
add  that  the  mere  conception  of  an  external  soul  occurs  in  the  oldest 
Egyptian  tale  of  "The  Two  Brothers,"  but  the  wrappings  are  absent. 


V.     THE  BROKEN  POT. 

Source. — Pantschatantra,  V.  ix.,  tr.  Benfey,  ii.  345-6. 

Parallels. — Benfey,  in  §  209  of  his  Einleitung,  gives  bibliographical 
references  to  most  of  those  which  are  given  at  length  in  Prof.  M. 
Miiller's  brilliant  essay  on  "The  Migration  of  Fables"  {Selected 
Essays,  i.  500-76),  which  is  entirely  devoted  to  the  travels  of  the  fable 

Q 


240  Notes  and  References 

from  India  to  La  Fontaine.  See  also  Mr.  Clouston,  Pop,  Tales,  ii.  432 
seq.  I  have  translated  the  Hebrew  version  in  my  essay,  "  Jewish 
Influence  on  the  Diffusion  of  Folk-Tales,"  pp.  6-7.  Our  proverb, 
"  Do  not  count  your  chickens  before  they  are  hatched,"  is  ultimately 
to  be  derived  from  India. 

Remarks. — The  stories  of  Alnaschar,  the  Barbers  fifth  brother  in 
the  Arabian  Nights,  and  of  La  Perette,  who  counted  her  chickens 
before  they  were  hatched,  in  La  Fontaine,  are  demonstrably  derived 
from  the  same  Indian  original  from  which  our  story  was  obtained. 
The  travels  of  the  "  Fables  of  Bidpai  "  from  India  to  Europe  are  well 
known  and  distinctly  traceable.  I  have  given  a  rough  summary  of  the 
chief  critical  results  in  the  introduction  to  my  edition  of  the  earliest 
English  version  of  the  Fables  of  Bidpai,  by  Sir  Thomas  North,  of 
Plutarch  fame  (London,  D.  Nutt,  "  Bibliotheque  de  Carabas,"  1888), 
where  I  have  given  an  elaborate  genealogical  table  of  the  multitudinous 
versijans.  La  Fontaine's  version,  which  has  rendered  the  fable  so 
familiar  to  us  all,  comes  from  Bonaventure  des  Periers,  Contes  et 
Nouvelles,  who  got  it  from  the  Dialogiis  Creaturarum  of  Nicholaus 
Pergamenus,  who  derived  it  from  the  Sermones  of  Jacques  de  Vitry 
(see  Prof.  Crane's  edition,  No.  li.),  who  probably  derived  it  from  the 
Directorium  HtunancB  Vitcs  of  John  of  Capua,  a  converted  Jew,  who 
translated  it  from  the  Hebrew  version  of  the  Arabic  Kalilah  wa 
Dininah,  which  was  itself  derived  from  the  old  Syriac  version  of  a 
Pehlevi  translation  of  the  original  Indian  work,  probably  called  after 
Karataka  and  Damanaka,  the  names  of  two  jackals  who  figure  in  the 
earlier  stories  of  the  book.  Prof.  Rhys-Davids  informs  me  that  these 
names  are  more  akin  to  Pali  than  to  Sanskrit,  which  makes  it  still 
more  probable  that  the  whole  literature  is  ultimately  to  be  derived 
from  a  Buddhist  source. 

The  theme  of  La  Perette  is  of  interest  as  showing  the  literary 
transmission  of  tales  from  Orient  to  Occident.  It  also  shows  the 
possibility  of  an  influence  of  literary  on  oral  tradition,  as  is  shown  by 
our  proverb,  and  by  the  fact,  which  Benfey  mentions,  that  La  Fon- 
taine's story  has  had  influence  on  two  of  Grimm's  tales,  Nos.  164,  168. 


VI.    THE  MAGIC  FIDDLE. 

Source. — A.  Campbell,  Saiital  Folk-Tales,  1892,  pp.  52-6,  with  some 
verbal  alterations.  A  Bonga  is  the  presiding  spirit  of  a  certain  kind 
of  rice  land ;  Doms  and  Hadis  are  low-caste  aborigines,  whose  touch 
is  considered  polluting.    The  Santals  are  a  forest  tribe,  who  live  in  the 


Notes  and  References 


241 


Jantal  Parganas,  140  miles  N.W.  of  Calcutta  (Sir  W.  W.  Hunter, 
The  Indian  Empire^  57-60). 

Parallels. — Another  version  occurs  in  Campbell,  p.  106  seq.^  which 
shows  that  the  story  is  popular  among  the  Santals.  It  is  obvious, 
however,  that  neither  version  contains  the  real  finish  of  the  story, 
which  must  have  contained  the  denunciation  of  the  magic  fiddle  of 
the  murderous  sisters.  This  would  bring  it  under  the  formula  of  The 
Singing-  Bone^  which  M.  Monseur  has  recently  been  studying  with  a 
remarkable  collection  of  European  variants  in  the  Bulletin  of  the 
Wallon  Folk-Lore  Society  of  Liege  {cf.  Eng.  Eairy  Tales^  No.  ix.). 
There  is  a  singing  bone  in  Steel-Temple's  Wideawake  Stories^ 
pp.  127  seq.  ("  Little  Anklebone")- 

Remarks. — Here  we  have  another  theme  of  the  common  store  of 
European  folk-tales  found  in  India.  Unfortunately,  the  form  in  which 
it  occurs  is  mutilated,  and  we  cannot  draw  any  definite  conclusion 
from  it. 

VII.  THE  CRUEL  CRANE  OUTWITTED. 

Source. — The  Baka-Jataka,  Fausboll,  No.  38,  tr.  Rhys-Davids, 
pp.  315-21.     The  Buddha  this  time  is  the  Genius  of  the  Tree. 

Parallels. — This  Jataka  got  into  the  Bidpai  literature,  and  occurs  in 


all  its  multitudinous  offshoots  {see  Benfey,  Einleifitng,  §  60)  among 
■others  in  the  earliest  English  translation  by  North  (my  edition,  pp.  1 18- 
22),  where  the  crane  becomes  **  a  great  Paragone  of  India  (of  those 
that  liue  a  hundredth  yeares  and  neuer  mue  their  feathers)."    The  crab. 


242  Notes  and   References 

on  hearing  the  ill  news  "  called  to  Parliament  all  the  Fishes  of  the 
Lake,"  and  before  all  are  devoured  destroys  the  Paragon,  as  in  the 
Jataka,  and  returned  to  the  remaining  fishes,  who  '*  all  with  one  consent 
gave  hir  many  a  thanke." 

Remarks. — An  interesting  point,  to  which  I  have  drawn  attention  in 
my  Introduction  to  North's  Bidpai,  is  the  probability  that  the  illustra- 
tions of  the  tales  as  well  as  the  tales  themselves,  were  translated,  so  to 
speak,  from  one  country  to  another.  We  can  trace  them  in  Latin, 
Hebrew,  and  Arabic  MSS,,  and  a  few  are  extant  on  Buddhist  Stupas. 
Under  these  circumstances,  it  may  be  of  interest  to  compare  with  Mr. 
Batten's  conception  of  the  Crane  and  the  Crab  {supra,  p.  50)  that 
of  the  German  artist  who  illustrated  the  first  edition  of  the  Latin 
Bidpai,  probably  following  the  traditional  representations  of  the  MS.» 
which  itself  could  probably  trace  back  to  India. 

VIII.     LOVING  LAILI. 

Source. — Miss  Stokes,  Indian  Fairy  Tales,  pp.  73-84.  Majnun  and 
Laili  are  conventional  names  for  lovers,  the  Romeo  and  Juliet  of 
Hindostan. 

Parallels. — Living  in  animals'  bellies  occurs  elsewhere  in  Miss  Stokes' 
book,  pp.  66,  124  ;  also  in  Miss  Frere's,  188.  The  restoration  of  beauty 
by  fire  occurs  as  a  frequent  theme  (Temple,  Analysis,  III.  vi.  f.  p.  418). 
Readers  will  be  reminded  of  the  denouement  of  Mr.  Rider  Haggard's 
She.  Resuscitation  from  ashes  has  been  used  very  effectively  by  Mr. 
Lang  in  his  delightful  Prince  Prigio. 

Remarks. — The  white  skin  and  blue  eyes  of  Prince  Majnun 
deserve  attention.  They  are  possibly  a  relic  of  the  days  of  Aryan 
conquest,  when  the  fair-skinned,  fair-haired  Aryan  conquered  the 
swarthier  aboriginals.  The  name  for  caste  in  Sanskrit  is  varna, 
"  colour";  and  one  Hindu  cannot  insult  another  more  effectually  than 
by  calling  him  a  black  man.  Cf.  Stokes,  pp.  238-9,  who  suggests  that 
the  red  hair  is  something  solar,  and  derived  from  myths  of  the  solar 
hero. 

IX.  THE  TIGER,  THE  BRAHMAN,  AND  THE  JACKAL. 

Source. — Steel-Temple,  Wideawake  Stories,  pp.  116-20  ;  first  pub- 
lished in  htdian  Antiquary,  xii.  p.  170  seq. 

Parallels. — No  less  than  94  parallels  are  given  by  Prof.  K.  Krohn  in  his 
elaborate  discussion  of  this  fable  in  his  dissertation,  Mann  und  Fucks, 
(Helsingfors,  1891),  pp.  38-60;  to  which  maybe  added  three  Indian 
variants,  omitted  by  him,  but  mentioned  by  Capt.  Temple,  /.  c,  p.  324, 


Notes  and  References  243 

in  thtBhdgavata  Piirdna^  the  Giil  Bakdoli  and  liid.  Ant.  xii.  177  ;  and 
a  couple  more  in  my  /Esop^  p.  253 :  add  Smeaton,  Karens^  p.  126. 

Remarks. — Prof.  Krohn  comes  to  the  conclusion  that  the  majority  of 
the  oral  forms  of  the  tale  come  from  literary  versions  (p.  47),  whereas 
the  Reynard  form  has  only  had  influence  on  a  single  variant.  He 
reduces  the  century  of  variants  to  three  type  forms.  The  first  occurs  in 
two  Egyptian  versions  collected  in  the  present  day,  as  well  as  in  Petrus 
Alphonsi  in  the  twelfth  century,  and  ihe  Fabulce  Extravagantes  of  the 
thirteenth  or  fourteenth  :  here  the  ingrate  animal  is  a  crocodile,  which 
asks  to  be  carried  away  from  a  river  about  to  dry  up,  and  there  is  only 
one  judge.  The  second  is  that  current  in  India  and  represented  by  the 
story  in  the  present  collection  :  here  the  judges  are  three.  The  third  is 
that  current  among  Western  Europeans,  which  has  spread  to  S.  Africa 
and  N.  and  S.  America  :  also  three  judges.  Prof.  K.  Krohn  counts  the 
first  the  original  form,  owing  to  the  single  judge  and  the  naturalness  of 
the  opening,  by  which  the  critical  situation  is  brought  about.  The 
further  question  arises,  whether  this  form,  though  found  in  Egypt  now, 
is  indigenous  there,  and  if  so,  how  it  got  to  the  East.  Prof.  Krohn 
grants  the  possibility  of  the  Egyptian  form  having  been  invented  in 
India  and  carried  to  Egypt,  and  he  allows  that  the  European  forms 
have  been  influenctd  by  the  Indian.  The  "Egyptian"  form  is  found 
in  Burmah  (Smeaton,  /.  c,  p.  128),  as  well  as  the  Indian,  a  fact  of 
which  Prof.  K.  Krohn  was  unaware  though  it  turns  his  whole 
argument.  The  evidence  we  have  of  other  folk-tales  of  the  beast- 
epic  emanating  from  India  improves  the  chances  of  this  also 
coming  from  that  source.  One  thing  at  least  is  certain :  all  these 
hundred  variants  come  ultimately  from  one  source.  The  incident 
"  Inside  again"  of  the  Arabian  Nights  (the  Djinn  and  the  bottle)  and 
European  tales  is  also  a  secondary  derivate. 

X.     THE  SOOTHSAYER'S  SON. 

Source. — Mrs.  Kingscote,  Tales  of  Jhe  Sim  {"p.  11  seq.),  from  Pandjt 
Natesa  Sastri's  Folk-Lore  of  Southern  bidia.,  pt.  ii.,  originally  from 
Ind.  Antiquary.  I  have  considerably  condensed  and  modified  the 
somewhat  Babu  English  of  the  original. 

Parallels. — See  Benfey,  Pantschatantra,  §  71,  i.  pp.  193-222,  who 
quotes  the  Karma  fdtaka  as  the  ultimate  source :  it  also  occurs  in  the 
Saccanki?'a  Jdtaka  (Fausboll,  No.  73),  trans.  Rev.  R.  Morris,  Folk- 
Lore  four.  iii.  348  seq.  The  story  of  the  ingratitude  of  man  compared 
with  the  gratitude  of  beasts  came  early  to  the  West,  where  it  occurs  in 
the  Gesta  Romanorum^  c.  119.     It  was  possibly  from  an  early  form  of 


244  Notes  and  References 

this  collection  that  Richard  Cceur  de  Lion  got  the  story,  and  used  it  to 
rebuke  the  ingratitude  of  the  English  nobles  on  his  return  in  1195. 
Matthew  Paris  tells  the  story,  sub  ajtno  (it  is  an  addition  of  his  to 
Ralph  Disset),  Hist.  Major,  ed.  Luard,  ii.  4 13-6, how  a  lion  and  a  serpent 
and  a  Venetian  named  Vitalis  were  saved  from  a  pit  by  a  woodmnn, 
Vitalis  promising  him  half  his  fortune,  fifty  talents.  The  lion  brings 
his  benefactor  a  leveret, the  serpent  "gemmam  pretiosam,"  probably  "ihe 
precious  jewel  in  his  head  "  to  which  Shakespeare  alludes  {As  You  Like 
It,  ii.  I.,  cf.  Benfey,  /.  c,  p.  214, ;/.),  but  Vitalis  refuses  to  have  anything 
to  do  with  him,  and  altogether  repudiates  the  fifty  talents.  "  Hasc 
referebat  Rex  Richardus  munificus,  ingratos  redarguendo." 

Remarks. — Apart  from  tlie  interest  of  its  wide  travels,  and  its  appear- 
ance in  the  standard  mediaeval  History  of  England  by  Matthew  Paris, 
the  modern  story  shows  the  remarkable  persistence  of  folk-tales  in  the 
popular  mind.  Here  we  have  collected  from  the  Hindu  peasant  of  to- 
day a  tale  which  was  probably  told  before  Buddha,  over  two  thousand 
years  ago,  and  certainly  included  among  the  Jatakas  before  the  Chris- 
tian era.  The  same  thing  has  occurred  with  The  Tiger,  Brahman,  and 
Jackal  (No.  ix.  supra). 

XL     HARISARMAN. 

Source. — Somadeva,  Katha-Sarit- Sahara,  trans.  Tawney  (Calcutta, 
1880),  i.  pp.  272-4.  I  have  slightly  toned  down  the  inflated  style  of 
the  original. 

Parallels. — Benfey  has  collected  and  discussed  a  number  in  Orient 
and  Occident,  i.  371  seq.j  see  also  Tawney,  ad  loc.  The  most  remark- 
able of  the  parallels  is  that  afforded  by  the  Grimms'  "  Doctor  Allvvis- 
send"  (No.  98),  which  extends  even  to  such  a  minute  point  as  his 
exclamation,  "  Ach,  ich  armer  Krebs,"  whereupon  a  crab  is  discovered 
under  a  dish.  The  usual  form  of  discovery  of  the  thieves  is  for  the 
Dr.  Knowall  to  have  so  many  days  given  him  to  discover  the  thieves, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  first  day  he  calls  out,  "  There's  one  of  them," 
meaning  the  days,  just  as  one  of  the  thieves  peeps  through  at  him. 
Hence  the  title  and  the  plot  of  C.  Lever's  Oiie  of  Them. 

XIL     THE  CHARMED  RING. 

Source. — Knowles,  Folk-Tales  of  Kashmir,  pp.  20-8. 

Parallels. — The  incident  of  the  Aiding  Animals  is  frequent  in 
folk-tales :  see  bibliographical  references,  sub  voce,  in  my  List  of 
Incidents,    Irans.  Folk-Lore  Cojigress,  p.  88;    also  Knowles,  21,  ?/.y 


I 


Notes  and  References  245 

and  Temple,  Wideawake  Stories^  pp.  401,  412.  The  Magic  Ring  is 
also  "  common  form  "  in  folk-tales  ;  cf.  Kohler  ap.  Marie  de  France, 
Lais,  ed.  Warncke,  p.  Ixxxiv.  And  the  whole  story  is  to  be  found 
very  widely  spread  from  \nd\dL  {^Wideawake  Stories^  pp.  196-206)  to 
England  {En^^.  Fairy  Tales,  No.  xvii,  "  Jack  and  his  Golden  Snuff-box,'* 
cf.  Notes,  ibid.\  the  most  familiar  form  of  it  being  "  Aladdin  and  the 
Wonderful  Lamp." 

Remarks. — M.  Cosquin  has  pointed  owl{Co?ites  de Lorrai?te,^.  xi. seg.) 
that  the  incident  of  the  rat's-tail-up-nose  to  recover  the  ring  from  the 
stomach  of  an  ogress,  is  found  among  Arabs,  Albanians,  Bretons,  and 
Russians.  It  is  impossible  to  imagine  that  incident — occurring  in  the 
same  series  of  incidents — to  have  been  invented  more  than  once,  and  if 
that  part  of  the  story  has  been  borrowed  from  India,  there  is  no  reason 
why  the  whole  of  it  should  not  have  arisen  in  India,  and  have  been 
spread  to  the  West.  The  English  variant  was  derived  from  an  English 
Gipsy,  and  suggests  the  possibility  that  for  this  particular  story  the 
medium  of  transmission  has  been  the  Gipsies.  This  contains  the 
incident  of  the  loss  of  the  ring  by  the  faithful  animal,  which  again 
could  not  have  been  independently  invented. 

XIII.     THE  TALKATIVE  TORTOISE. 


Sotirce.—The  Kacchapa  Jdtaka,  Fausboll,  No.  215  ;  also  in  his  Five 
Jdtakas,  pp.  16,  41,  tr.  Rhys-Davids,  pp.  viii-x. 


246 


Notes  and   References 


Parallels. — It  occurs  also  in  the  Bidpai  literature,  in  nearly  all  its 
multitudinous  offshoots.  See  Benfey,  Einleitimg^  §  84 ;  also  my  Bidpai^  E, 
4  a  ;  and  North's  text,  pp.  170-5,  where  it  is  the  taunts  of  the  other  birds 
that  cause  the  catastrophe  :  "  O  here  is  a  brave  sight,  looke,  here  is  a 
goodly  least,  what  bugge  haue  we  here,"  said  some.  "  See,  see,  fhe 
hangeth  by  the  throte,  and  therefor  fhe  fpeaketh  not,"  saide  others  ; 
"and  the  beast  flieth  not  like  a  beast ;"  so  she  opened  her  mouth  and 
"  pafhte  hir  all  to  pieces." 

Remarks. — I  have  reproduced  in  my  edition  the  original  illustration 
of  the  first  English  Bidpai,  itself  derived,  from  the  Italian  block.  A 
replica  of  it  here  may  serve  to  show  that  it  could  be  used  equally  well 
to  illustrate  the  Pali  original  as  its  English  great-great-great-great- 
great-great  grand-child. 


XIV.     LAC  OF  RUPEES. 

Source. — Knowles,  Folk-Tales  of  Kashmir.,  pp.  32-41.  I  have 
reduced  the  pieces  of  advice  to  three,  and  curtailed  somewhat. 

Parallels. — See  Celtic  Fairy  Tales,  No.  xxii.,  "Tale  of  Ivan,"  from 
the  old  Cornish,  now  extinct,  and  notes  ibid.  Mr.  Clouston  points  out 
{Pop.  Tales,  ii.  319)  that  it  occurs  in  Buddhist  literature,  in  "Budda- 
ghoshas  Parables,"  as  "The  Story  of  Kulla  Pauthaka." 

Remarks. — It  is  indeed  curious  to  find  the  story  better  told  in  Corn- 
wall than  in  the  land  of  its  birth,  but  there  can  be  little  doubt  that 
the  Buddhist  version  is  the  earliest  and  original  form  of  the  story. 
The  piece  of  advice  was  originally  a  charm,  in  which  a  youth  was  to 
say  to  himself,  "  Why  are  you  busy.''  Why  are  you  busy.''"  He  does 
so  when  thieves  are  about,  and  so  saves  the  king's  treasures,  of  which 
he  gets  an  appropriate  share.  It  would  perhaps  be  as  well  if  many  of 
us  should  say  to  ourselves  "  Ghatesa,  ghatesa,  kim  kdrafia  ?  " 


XV.     THE  GOLD-GIVING  SERPENT. 

Source. — Pa?ttschatantra,  III.  v.,  tr.  Benfey,  ii.  244-7. 

Parallels  given  in  my  yEsop,  Ro.  ii.  10,  p.  40.  The  chief  points 
about  them  are — (i)  though  the  tale  does  not  exist  in  either  Pha^drus 
or  Babrius,  it  occurs  in  prose  derivates  from  the  Latin  by  Ademar,  65, 
and  "  Romulus,"  ii.  10,  and  from  Greek,  in  Gabrias,  45,  and  the  prose 
J'lsopy  ed.  Halm,  96 ;  Gitlbauer  has  restored  the  Babrian  form  in  his 
edition  of  Babrius,  No.  160.     (2)  The  fable  occurs  among  folk-tales, 


Notes  and  References 


247 


Grimm,   105  ;  Woycicki,  Poln.  Mcihr.   105  ;   Gering,  Islensk.  ^vent- 
59,  possibly  derived  from  La  Fontaine,  x.  12. 

Remarks. — Benfey  has  proved  most  ingeniously  and  conclusively 
{Eitil.  i.  359)  that  the  Indian  fable  is  the  source  of  both  Latin  and 
Greek  fables.  I  may  borrow  from  my  ^Esop,  p.  93,  parallel  abstracts 
of  the  three  versions,  putting  Benfey's  results  in  a  graphic  form, 
series  of  bars  indicating  the  passages  where  the  classical  fables  have 
failed  to  preserve  the  original. 

BiDPAI.  PH.^iDRINE. 


A  Brahmin  once  observed  a  snake  in 
his  field,  and  thinking  it  the  tutelary 
spirit  of  the  field,  he  offered  it  a  liba- 
tion of  milk  in  a  bowl.  Next  day  he 
finds  a  piece  of  gold  in  the  bowl,  and  he 
receives  this  each  day  after  offering  the 
libation.  One  day  he  had  to  go  else- 
where, and  he  sent  his  son  with  the  liba- 
tion. The  son  sees  the  gold,  and  think- 
ing the  serpent's  hole  full  of  treasure 
determines  to  slay  the  snake.  He  strikes 
at  its  head  with  a  cudgel,  and  the  en- 
raged serpent  stings  him  to  death.  The 
Brahmin  mourns  his  son's  death,  but 
next  morning  as  usual  brings  the  liba- 
tion of  milk  (in  the  hope  of  getting  the 
gold  as  before).  The  serpent  appears 
after  a  long  delay  at  the  mouth  of  its 
lair,  and  declares  their  friendship  at  an 
end,  as  it  could  not  forget  the  blow  of 
the  Brahmin's  son,  nor  the  Brahmin  his 
son's  death  from  the  bite  of  the  snake. 

Pants.  III.  V.  (Benf.  244-7). 


A  good  man  had  become  friendly 

with  the  snake,  who  came  into  his  house 
and  brought  luck  with  it,  so  that  the 

man  became  rich  through  it. One 

day  he  struck  the  serpent,  v/hich  dis- 
appeared, and  with  it  the  man's  riches. 
The  good  man  tries  to  make  it  up,  but 
the  serpent  declares  their  friendship  at 
an  end,  as  it  could  not  forget  the 
blow.  -  -  -  - 

Phasd.  Dressl.  VII.  28  (Rom.  II.  xi.) 
Babrian. 

A  serpent  stung  a  farmer's  son  to 
death.  The  father  pursued  the  serpent 
with  an  axe,  and  struck  off  part  of  its 
tail.  Afterwards  fearing  its  vengeance 
he  brought  food  and  honey  to  its  lair, 
and  begged  reconciliation.  The  serpent, 
however,  declares  friendship  impossible, 

as  it  could  not  forget  the  blow nor 

the  farmer  his  son's  death  from  the  bite 
of  the  snake. 

-'Esop,  Halm  96b  (Babrius-Gitlb.  160). 


In  the  Indian  fable  every  step  of  the  action  is  thoroughly  justified, 
whereas  the  Latin  form  does  not  explain  why  the  snake  was  friendly 
in  the  first  instance,  or  why  the  good  man  was  enraged  afterwards ; 
and  the  Greek  form  starts  abruptly,  without  e.xplaining  why  the 
serpent  had  killed  the  farmer's  son.  Make  a  composite  of  the 
Phaidrine  and  Babrian  forms,  and  you  get  the  Indian  one,  which  is 
thus  shown  to  be  the  original  of  both. 


248 


Notes  and  References 


XVI.     THE  SON  OF  SEVEN  OUEENS. 


Source. — Steel-Temple,  Wideawake  Stories,  pp.  98-110,  originally 
published  in  Ind.  Antiq.  x.  147  seq. 

Parallels. — A  long  variant  follows  in  Ind.  Antiq.^  I.  c.  M.  Cosquin 
refers  to  several  Oriental  variants,  /.  c.  p.  xxx.  n.  For  the  direction 
tabu,  see  Note  on  Princess  Labam,  supra.,  No.  ii.  The  "letter 
to  kill  bearer"  and  "letter  substituted"  are  frequent  in  both  Euro- 
pean (see  my  List  s.  v.)  and  Indian  Folk-Tales  (Temple,  Analysis,  II. 
iv.  b,  6,  p.  410).  The  idea  of  a  son  of  seven  mothers  could  only  arise 
in  a  polygamous  country.  It  occurs  in  "  Punchkin,"  supra,  No.  iv.  ; 
Day,  Folk- 7  ales  of  Bengal.,  117  seq.j  Ind.  Antiq.  i.  170  (Temple,  I.e., 

398). 

Remarks. — M.  Cosquin  {Contes  de  Lorraijie,  p.  xxx.)  points  out  how, 
in  a  Sicilian  story,  Gonzenbach  {Sizil.  Mdhr.  No.  80),  the  seven 
co-queens  are  transformed  into  seven  step-daughters  of  the  envious 
witch  who  causes  their  eyes  to  be  taken  out.  It  is  thus  probable, 
though  M.  Cosquin  does  not  point  this  out,  that  the  "  envious  step- 
mother" of  folk-tales  (see  my  List,  j.  7a)  was  originally  an  envious 
CO- wife.  But  there  can  be  little  doubt  of  what  M.  Cosquin  does  point 
out — viz.,  that  the  Sicilian  story  is  derived  from  the  Indian  one. 

XVII.     A  LESSON  FOR  KINGS. 

Source. — RCijovdda  Jdtaka,  Fausboll,  No.  151,  tr.  Rhys-Davids, 
pp.  xxii.-vi. 

Remarks. — This  is  one  of  the  earliest  of  moral  allegories  in  exist- 
ence. The  moralising  tone  of  the  Jatakas  must,  be  conspicuous  to  all 
reading  them.  Why,  they  can  moralise  even  the  Tar  Baby  (see 
infra,  Note  on  "  Demon  with  the  Matted  Hair,"  No.  xxv.). 

XVIII.     PRIDE  GOETH  BEFORE  A  FALL. 

Source. — Kingscote,  Tales  of  the  Sun.  I  have  changed  the  Indian 
mercantile  numerals  into  those  of  English  "  back-slang,"  which  make 
a  very  good  parallel. 

XIX.    RAJA  RASALU. 

Source. — Steel-Temple,  Wideawake  Stories,  pp.  247-80,  omitting 
"  How  Raja  Rasalu  was  born,"  "  How  Raja  Rasalu's  Friends  Forsook 
Him,"  "  How  Raja  Rasalu  Killed  the  Giants,"  and  "  How  Raja 
Rasalu  became  a  Jogi."     A  further  version  in  Temple,  Legends  of 


Notes  and  References  249 

Panjab,  vol.  i.  Chaupiir^  I  should  explain,  is  a  game  played  by  two 
players  with  eight  men,  each  on  a  board  in  the  shape  of  a  cross,  four  men 
to  each  cross  covered  with  squares.  The  moves  of  the  men  are  decided 
by  the  throws  of  a  long  form  of  dice.  The  object  of  the  game  is  to 
see  which  of  the  players  can  first  move  all  his  men  into  the  black 
centre  square  of  the  cross  (Temple,  /.  c,  p.  344,  and  Legends  of  Punjab ^ 
i.  243-5).     It  is  sometimes  said  to  be  the  origin  of  chess. 

Parallels. — Rev.  C.  Swynnerton,  "  Four  Legends  about  Raja 
Rasalu,"  in  Folk- Lore  Journal^  p.  158  seq.^  also  in  separate  book 
much  enlarged,  The  Adventures  of  Raja  Rasalu,  Calcutta,  1884. 
Curiously  enough,  the  real  interest  of  the  story  comes  after  the  end  of 
our  part  of  it,  for  Kokilan,  when  she  grows  up,  is  married  to  Raja 
Rasalu,  and  behaves  as  sometimes  youthful  wives  behave  to  elderly 
husbands.  He  gives  her  her  lover's  heart  to  eat,  ct  la  Decameron,  and 
she  dashes  herself  over  the  rocks.  For  the  parallels  of  this  part  of  the 
legend  see  my  edition  of  Painter's  Palace  of  Pleastcre^  tom.  i.  Tale  39, 
or,  better,  the  Programm  of  H.  Patzig,  Ziir  Geschichte  der  Herzmiire 
(Berlin,  1891).  Gambling  for  life  occurs  in  Celtic  and  other  folk-tales  ; 
cf  my  List  of  Incidents,  s.  v.  "  Gambling  for  Magic  Objects." 

Remarks. — Raja  Rasalu  is  possibly  a  historic  personage,  according 
to  Capt.  Temple,  Calcutta  Revtew,  1884,  p.  397,  flourishing  in  the 
eighth  or  ninth  century.  There  is  a  place  cailed  Sirikap  ka-kila  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Sialkot,  the  traditional  seat  of  Rasalu  on  the 
Indus,  not  far  from  Atlock. 

Herr  Patzig  is  strongly  for  the  Eastern  origin  of  the  romance, 
and  finds  its  earliest  appearance  in  the  West  in  the  Anglo-Norman 
troubadour,  Thomas'  Lai  Guirun,  where  it  becomes  part  of  the 
Tristan  cycle.  There  is,  so  far  i.s  I  know,  no  proof  of  the  earliest 
part  of  the  Rasalu  legend  {our  part)  coming  to  Europe,  except  the 
existence  of  the  gambling  incidents  of  the  same  kind  in  Celtic  and 
other  folk-tales. 

XX.     THE  ASS  IN  THE  LION'S  SKIN. 

Source. — The  Siha  Carnma  Jdtaka^  Fausboll,  No.  1 89,  trans.  Rhys- 
Davids,  pp.  V.  vi. 

Parallels. — It  also  occurs  in  Somadeva,  Katha  Sarit  Sagara,  ed. 
Tawney,  ii.  65,  and  n.  For  yEsopic  parallels  cf.  my  yEsop^  Av.  iv. 
It  is  in  Babrius,ed.  Gitlbaur,2i8(from  Greek  prose  vEsop,  ed.  Hahn,  No. 
323),  and  Avian,  ed.  Ellis,  5,  whence  it  came  into  the  modern  /Esop. 

Remarks. — Avian  wrote  towards  the  end  of  the  third  century,  and 
put  into  Latin  mainly  those  portions  of  Babrius  which  are  unparalleled 


250  Notes  and   References 

by  Phaedrus.  Consequently,  as  I  have  shown,  he  has  a  much  larger 
proportion  of  Eastern  elements  than  Phaedrus.  There  can  be  little 
doubt  that  the  Ass  in  the  Lion's  Skin  is  from  India.  As  Prof.  Rhys- 
Davids  remarks,  the  Indian  form  gives  a  plausible  motive  for  the 
masquerade  which  is  wanting  in  the  ordinary  ^sopic  version. 

XXI.     THE  FARMER  AND  THE  MONEY-LENDER. 

Source. — Steel-Temple,  Wideawake  Stories.,  pp.  215-8. 

Parallels  enumerated  in  my  A^sop^  Av.  xvii.  See  also  Jacques  de 
Vitry,  Exeinpla^  ed.  Crane,  No.  196  (see  notes,  p.  212),  and  Bozon, 
Contes  moralises.,  No.  112.  It  occurs  in  Avian,  ed.  Ellis,  No.  22.  Mr. 
Kipling  has  a  very  similar  tale  in  his  Lifers  Handicap. 

Remarks. —Yi^xt.  we  have  collected  in  modern  India  what  one  cannot 
help  thinking  is  the  Indian  orij'^inal  of  a  fable  of  Avian.  The  pre- 
ceding number  showed  one  of  his  fables  existing  among  the  Jatakas, 
probably  before  the  Christian  era.  This  makes  it  likely  that  we  shall 
find  an  earlier  Indian  original  of  the  fable  of  the  Avaricious  and 
Envious,  perhaps  among  the  Jatakas  still  untranslated. 

XXII.     THE  BOY  WITH  MOON  ON  FOREHEAD. 

Source. — Miss  Stokes'  Vidian  Fairy  Tales.,  No.  20,  pp.  1 19-137. 

Parallels  to  heroes  and  heroines  in  European  fairy  tales,  with  stars 
on  their  foreheads,  are  given  with  some  copiousness  in  Stokes,  /.  c, 
pp.  242-3,  This  is  an  essentially  Indian  trait;  almost  all  Hindus 
have  some  tribal  or  caste  mark  on  their  bodies  or  faces.  The  choice 
of  the  hero  disguised  as  a  menial  is  also  common  properly  of  Indian 
and  European  fairy  tales  :  see  Stokes,  /.  c,  p.  231,  and  my  List  of 
Incidents  {s.  v.  "  Menial  Disguise.") 

XXIIL     THE  PRINCE  AND  THE  FAKIR. 

Source. — Kindly  communicated  by  Mr.  M.  L.  Dames  from  his  un- 
published collection  of  Baluchi  tales. 

Remarks. — Unholy  fakirs  are  rather  rare.  See  Temple,  Analysis, 
I.  ii.  a,  p.  394. 

XXIV.     WHY  THE  FISH  LAUGHED. 

Source. — Knowles,  Folk-Tales  of  Kashmir.,  pp.  484-90. 

Parallels. — The  latter  part  is  the  formula  of  the  Clever  Lass  who 


^^|t^ses  rid( 


Notes  and  References  251 


>ses  riddles.  She  has  been  bibliographised  by  Prof.  Child,  Eng. 
and  Scotch  Ballads,  i.  485  ;  see  also  Benfey,  Kl.  Schr.  ii.  i^d  seq. 
The  sex  test  at  the  end  is  different  from  any  of  those  enumerated  by 
Prof.  Kohler  on  Gonzenbach,  Sezil.  Mdhr.  ii.  216. 

Remarks. — Here  we  have  a  further  example  of  a  whole  formula,  or 
series  of  incidents,  common  to  most  European  collections,  found  in 
India,  and  in  a  quarter,  too,  where  European  influence  is  little  likely 
to  penetrate.  Prof.  Benfey,  in  an  elaborate  dissertation  ("  Die  Kluge 
Dime,"  in  Ausland,  1859,  Nos.  20-25,  now  reprinted  in  Kl.  Schr.  ii. 
156  j^^.),  has  shown  the  wide  spread  of  the  theme  both  in  early  Indian 
literature  (ttiough  probably  there  derived  from  the  folk)  and  in  modern 
European  folk  literature. 

XXV.     THE  DEMON  WITH  THE  MATTED  HAIR. 

Source. — The  Paiicdvudha-Jdtaka,  Fausboll,  No.  55,  kindly  trans- 
lated for  this  book  by  Mr.  W.  H.  D.  Rouse,  of  Christ's  College, 
Cambridge.  There  is  a  brief  abstract  of  the  Jataka  in  Prof.  Estlin 
Carpenter's  sermon,  Three  Ways  of  Salvation,  1884,  p.  27,  where  my 
attention  was  first  called  to  this  Jataka. 

Parallels. — Most  readers  of  these  Notes  will  remember  the  central 
episode  of  Mr.  J.  C.  Harris'  Uncle  Remus,\n  which  Brer  Fox,  annoyed 
at  Brer  Rabbit's  depredations,  fits  up  *'  a  contrapshun,  what  he  calls  a 
Tar  Baby."  Brer  Rabbit,  coming  along  that  way,  passes  the  time 
of  day  with  Tar  Baby,  and,  annoyed  at  its  obstinate  silence,  hits  it  with 
right  fist  and  with  left,  with  left  fist  and  with  right,  which  successively 
stick  to  the  "contrapshun,"  till  at  last  he  butts  with  his  head,  and  that 
sticks  too,  whereupon  Brer  Fox,  who  all  this  time  had  ''  lain  low," 
saunters  out,  and  complains  of  Brer  Rabbit  that  he  is  too  stuck  up. 
In  the  sequel  Brer  Rabbits  begs  Brer  Fox  that  he  may  "  drown  me  as 
deep  ez  you  please,  skin  me,  scratch  out  my  eyeballs,  t'ar  out  my  years 
by  the  roots,  en  cut  off  my  legs,  but  do  don't  fling  me  in  dat  brier 
patch ;  "  which,  of  course,  Brer  Fox  does,  only  to  be  informed  by 
the  cunning  Brer  Rabbit  that  he  had  been  ''bred  en  bawn  in  a  brier 
patch."  The  stoiy  is  a  favourite  one  with  the  negroes  :  it  occurs  in 
Col.  Jones'  Negro  Myths  of  the  Georgia  Coast  (Uncle  Remus  is  from 
S.  Carolina),  also  among  those  of  Brazil  (Romero,  Cantos  do  Brazil), 
and  in  the  West  Indian  Islands  (Mr.  Lang,  "  At  the  Sign  of  the  Ship," 
Longma7is  Magazine,  Feb.  1889).  We  can  trace  it  to  Africa,  where 
it  occurs  in  Cape  Colony  {South  African  Folk-Lore  fourjtal.,  vol.  i.). 

Remarks.— TXx^  five-fold  attack  on  the  Demon  and  the  Tar  Baby  is 
so  preposterously  ludicrous  that  it  cannot  have  been  independently 


252  Notes  and  References 

invented,  and  we  must  therefore  assume  that  they  are  causally  con- 
nected, and  the  existence  of  the  variant  in  South  Africa  clinches  the 
matter,  and  gives  us  a  landing-stage  between  India  and  America. 
There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  Jataka  of  Prince  Five  Weapons 
came  to  Africa,  possibly  by  Buddhist  missionaries,  spread  among  the 
negroes,  and  then  took  ship  in  the  holds  of  slavers  for  the  New  World, 
where  it  is  to  be  found  in  fuller  form  than  any  yet  discovered  in  the 
home  of  its  birth.  I  say  Buddhist  missionaries,  because  there  is  a 
certain  amount  of  evidence  that  the  negroes  have  Buddhistic  symbols 
among  them,  and  we  can  only  explain  the  identification  of  Brer  Rabbit 
with  Prince  Five  Weapons,  and  so  with  Buddha  himself,  by  supposing 
the  change  to  have  originated  among  Buddhists,  where  it  would  be 
quite  natural.  For  one  of  the  most  celebrated  metempsychoses  of 
Buddha  is  that  detailed  in  the  Sasa  Jataka  (Fausboll,  No.  316,  tr.  R. 
Morris,  Folk-Lore  Journal,  ii.  336),  in  which  the  Buddha,  as  a  hare, 
performs  a  sublime  piece  of  self-sacrifice,  and  as  a  reward  is  trans- 
lated to  the  moon,  where  he  can  be  seen  to  this  day  as  "  the  hare  in 
the  moon."  Every  Buddhist  is  reminded  of  the  virtue  of  self-sacrifice 
whenever  the  moon  is  full,  and  it  is  easy  to  understand  how  the 
Buddha  became  identified  as  the  Hare  or  Rabbit.  A  striking  con- 
firmation of  this,  in  connection  with  our  immediate  subject,  is  offered 
by  Mr.  Harris'  sequel  volume,  Nights  with  Uncle  Remits.  Here 
there  is  a  whole  chapter  (xxx.)  on  "  Brer  Rabbit  and  his  famous  Foot,'' 
and  it  is  well  known  how  the  worship  of  Buddha's  foot  developed  in 
later  Buddhism.  No  wonder  Brer  Rabbit  is  so  'cute  :  he  is  nothing 
less  than  an  incarnation  of  Buddha.  Among  the  Karens  of  Burmah, 
where  Buddhist  influence  is  still  active,  the  Hare  holds  exactly  the 
same  place  in  their  folk-lore  as  Brer  Rabbit  among  the  negroes.  The 
sixth  chapter  of  Mr.  Smeaton's  book  on  them  is  devoted  to  "  Fireside 
Stories,"  and  is  entirely  taken  up  with  adventures  of  the  Hare,  all  of 
which  can  be  paralled  from  Uncle  Remus. 

Curiously  enough,  the  negro  form  of  the  five-fold  attack — "  fighiing 
\i'\\!cijive  fists,"  Mr.  Barr  would  call  it — is  probably  nearer  to  the  original 
legend  than  that  preserved  in  the  Jataka,  though  2000  years  older. 
For  we  may  be  sure  that  the  thunderbolt  of  Knowledge  did  not  exist 
in  the  original,  but  was  introduced  by  some  Buddhist  Mr.  Barlow,  who, 
like  Alice's  Duchess,  ended  all  his  tales  with  :  "And  the  moral  of  that 

is "      For    no  well-bred    demon   would  have  been   taken   in   by 

so  simple  a  "sell"  as  that  indulged  in  by  Prince  Five-Weapons  in  our 
Jataka,  and  it  is  probable,  therefore,  that  Uncle  Remus  preserves  a 
reminiscence  of  the  original  Indian  reading  of  the  tale.    On  the  other 


Notes  and  References  253 

hand,  it  is  probable  that  Carlyle's  Indian  god  with  the  fire  in  his  belly 
was  derived  from  Prince  Five-Weapons. 

The  negro  variant  has  also  suggested  to  Mr.  Batten  an  explanation 
of  the  whole  story  which  is  extremely  plausible,  though  it  introduces  a 
method  of  folk-lore  exegesis  which  has  been  overdriven  to  death. 
The  Sasa  Jcitaka  identifies  the  Brer  Rabbit  Buddha  with  the  hare 
in  the  moon.  It  is  well  known  that  Easterns  explain  an  eclipse  of  the 
moon  as  due  to  its  being  swallowed  up  by  a  Dragon  or  Demon.  May 
not,  asks  Mr.  Batten,  the  Pancaviidha  Jdtaka  be  an  idealised  account 
of  an  eclipse  of  the  moon?  This  suggestion  receives  strong  confirm- 
ation from  the  Demon's  reference  to  Rahu,  who  does,  in  Indian  myth 
swallow  the  moon  at  times  of  eclipse.  The  Jataka  accordingly  contains 
the  Buddhist  explanation  why  the  moon — i.e.  the  hare  in  the  moon,  i.e. 
Buddha — is  not  altogether  swallowed  up  by  the  Demon  of  Eclipse,  the 
Demon  with  the  Matted  Hair.  Mr.  Batten  adds  that  in  imagining 
what  kind  of  Demon  the  Eclipse  Demon  was,  the  Jataka  writer  was 
probably  aided  by  recollections  of  some  giant  octopus,  who  has  saucer 
eyes  and  a  kind  of  hawk's  beak,  knobs  on  its  "tusks,"  and  a  very  varie- 
gated belly  (gasteropod).  It  is  obviously  unfair  of  Mr.  Batten  both 
to  illustrate  and  also  to  explain  so  well  the  Tar  Baby  Jataka — taking 
the  scientific  bread,  so  to  speak,  out  of  a  poor  folk-lorist's  mouth — 
but  his  explanations  seem  to  me  so  convincing  that  I  cannot  avoid 
including;  them  in  these  Notes. 

I  am,  however,  not  so  much  concerned  with  the  original  explanation 

of  the  Jataka  as  to  trace  its  travels  across  the  continents  of  Asia, 
Africa,  and  America.  I  think  I  have  done  this  satisfactorily,  and  will 
have  thereby  largely  strengthened  the  case  for  less  extensive  travels 
of  other  tales.  I  have  sufficient  confidence  of  the  method  employed 
to  venture  on  that  most  hazardous  of  employments,  scientific  prophecy. 

I  venture  to  predict  that  the  Tar  Baby  story  will  be  found  in 
Madagascar  in  a  form  nearer  the  Indian  than  Uncle  Remus,  and  I 
will  go  further,  and  say  that  it  will  not  be  found  in  the  grand 
Helsingfors  collection  of  folk-tales,  though  this  includes  12,000,  of  which 

1000  are  beast-tales. 

XXVI.  THE  IVORY  PALACE. 

Source.— l^no^A^s^  Folk-Tales  of  Kashmir,  pp.  211-25,  with  some 
slight  omissions.     Gulizar  is  Persian  for  rosy-cheeked. 

Parallels. — Stokes,  Indian  Fairy  Tales,  No.  27.  "  Panwpatti  Rani," 
pp.  208-15,  is  the  same  story.  Another  version  in  the  collection  Baital 
Pachisi.  No.  i. 


2  54  Notes  and  References 

Remarks. — The  themes  of  love  by  mirror,  and  the  faithful  friend,  are 
common  European,  though  the  calm  attempt  at  poisoning  is  perhaps 
characteristically  Indian,  and  reads  like  a  page  from  Mr.  Kipling. 

XXVII.     SUN,  MOON,  AND  WIND. 

Source. — Miss  Frere,  Old  Decca?t  Days,  No.  lo,  pp.  153-5. 

Remarks. — Miss  Frere  observes  that  she  has  not  altered  the 
traditional  mode  of  the  Moon's  conveyance  of  dinner  to  her  mother 
the  Star,  though  it  must,  she  fears,  impair  the  value  of  the  story  as  a 
moral  lesson  in  the  eyes  of  all  instructors  of  youth. 

XXVIII.     HOW  WICKED  SONS  WERE  DUPED. 

Source. — Knowles,  Folk-Tales  of  KasJimir.,  pp.  i\\-i. 

Parallels. — A  Gaelic  parallel  was  given  by  Campbell  in  Traits. 
Ethnol.  Soc,  ii.  p.  336  ;  an  Anglo-Latin  one  from  the  Middle  Ages  by 
T.  Wright  in  Lathi  Stories  (Percy  Soc),  No.  26;  and  for  these  and 
points  of  anthropological  interest  in  the  Celtic  variant  see  Mr.  Gomme's 
article  \n  Folk- Lore.,  i.  pp.  197-206,  "A  Highland  Folk-Tale  and  it5 
Origin  in  Custom." 

Remarks. — Mr.  Gomme  is  of  opinion  that  the  tale  arose  from  certain 
rhyming  formulas  occurring  in  the  Gaelic  and  Latin  tales  as  written  on 
a  mallet  left  by  the  old  man  in  the  box  opened  after  his  death.  The 
rhymes  are  to  the  effect  that  a  father  who  gives  up  his  wealth  to  his 
children  in  his  own  lifetime  deserves  to  be  put  to  death  with  the  mallet. 
Mr.  Gomme  gives  evidence  that  it  was  an  archaic  custom  to  put  old- 
sters to  death  after  they  had  become  helpless.  He  also  points  out 
that  it  was  customary  for  estates  to  be  divided  and  surrendered  during 
the  owners'  lifetime,  and  generally  he  connects  a  good  deal  of  primi- 
tive custom  with  our  story.  I  have  already  pointed  out  in  Folk-Lo7'e^ 
p.  403,  that  the  existence  of  the  tale  in  Kashmir  without  any  reference 
to  the  mallet  makes  it  impossible  for  the  rhymes  on  the  mallet  to  be 
the  source  of  the  story.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  it  is  a  very  embarrassing 
addition  to  it,  since  the  rhyme  tells  against  the  parent,  and  the  story 
is  intended  to  tell  against  the  ungrateful  children.  The  existence  of 
the  tale  in  India  renders  it  likely  enough  that  it  is  not  indigenous  to 
the  British  Isles,  but  an  Oriental  importation.  It  is  obvious,  therefore, 
that  it  cannot  be  used  as  anthropological  evidence  of  the  existence  of 
the  primitive  customs  to  be  found  in  it.  The  whole  incident,  indeed, 
is  a  striking  example  of  the  dangers  of  the  anthropological  method  of 
dealing  with  folk-tales  before  some  attempt  is  made  to  settle  the  ques- 
tions of  origin  and  diffusion. 


Notes  and   References 


255 


XXIX.     THE  PIGEON  AND  THE  CROW. 

Source. — The  Lola  Jdtaka,  Fausboll,  No.  274,  kindly  translated 
and  slightly  abridged  for  this  book  by  Mr.  W.  H.  D.  Rouse. 

Remarks. — We  began  with  an  animal  Jataka,  and  may  appro- 
priately finish  with  one  which  shows  how  effectively  the  writers  of  the 
Jatakas  could  represent  animal  folk,  and  how  terribly  moral  they  in- 
variably were  in  their  tales.  I  should  perhaps  add  that  the  Bodhisat 
is  not  precisely  the  Buddha  himself  but  a  character  which  is  on  its 
way  to  becoming  perfectly  enlightened,  and  so  may  be  called  a  future 
Buddha. 


if 


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